Abstract

Private health services are alive and well in Canada and are looking for new opportunities to expand their role, scope and volume of services.

The fact that our health system never has, and never could, function without private providers is often minimized by those who fear any increase in dependency on the services provided by health professionals who are not in the direct employ of a government-funded public organization. Adding to the discomfort of some, most providers of private healthcare are well organized and well financed. Most also have a clear vision of what they are doing, how they want to do it, how much their services cost, how they want to fit into the health system of the future, and the kinds of client- and cost-related expectations they must live up to in order to stay in business.