Abstract

Medicare in Canada, which began about 40 years ago as a noble idea, has degenerated into a political and social nightmare. Problematic for politicians, confronted with maintaining services while balancing budgets and cutting taxes, it presents a greater challenge for those that are ill and unable to access the system. Forty years in the making, and almost two decades after the introduction of the Canada Health Act, the healthcare system is clearly unable to meet the objectives of accessibility, comprehensiveness, portability and universality as envisioned in the Act.With theory and practice diverging, more and more Canadians believe that the system is driven more by ideology rather than reality. They are coming to recognize that the current healthcare system is not sustainable in its present form.