Abstract

Although boasting may be foreign to our character, we Canadians can be proud of many things. Central among them is our decision to share collectively the financial risks of disease and injury that before medicare were borne alone by those affected, their families or those who would extend them charity. But before we get too puffed up, listen to Tommy Douglas in 1982. "When we began to plan medicare, we pointed out that it would be in two phases. The first phase would be to remove the financial barrier between those giving the service and those receiving it. The second phase would be to reorganize and revamp the delivery system - and, of course, that's the big item. It's the big thing we haven't done yet" (Decter 1994).