Why American Doctors Are Calling For Canadian-Style Medicare

 And How Canada Risks Losing the Health Advantage it Has. In a dramatic show of physician support for deep health care reform in the U.S, more than 2,200 physician leaders have signed a “Physician’s Proposal” calling for sweeping change. The proposal, published May 5 2016 in the American Journal of

Why Canada Needs a National Plan to Address Dementia and Alzheimer’s

 One of the biggest threats to quality of life and health in ageing is the loss of cognitive abilities and functional autonomy that are associated with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The projections of the number of Canadians living with dementia are staggering, with over 750,000 individuals affected today, an attendant

We Need Federal Leadership on Pharmaceutical Drug Coverage

 More than 300 health academics and health professional sign letter to Prime Minister Trudeau on the need for federal leadership on pharmaceutical drug coverage (Toronto and Vancouver) -- Every developed country with a universal healthcare system provides universal coverage of prescription drugs…except Canada. The problems associated with Canada's incomplete patchwork

Dear Health Minister Philpott — We Need Leadership In Medicare Restored

 Dear Minister Philpott, It is fantastic news that as a family doctor you are our next federal health minister.  You will know very well that our healthcare system shows its age.  Born in the middle of the 20th century, its primary focus on doctors and hospitals is outmoded as technology

Why the Federal Government Needs to Keep its Promise to End Income-Splitting

 Children’s Health More About Good Social Policy than Medicine Alone. More of Canada’s children are living in poverty than ever before. A new report reveals that child poverty rates in Canada remain unconscionably high. Almost one-third of children in Toronto live in low-income households. Population measures of child health in Canada are also troubling,

Health Systems Around the World

 By Kathleen O’Grady Comparing the performance of health systems around the world just got a little easier. One morning, the media headline pronounces Canada’s health system should model that found in the Netherlands; the next week, we should follow Germany’s example, and yet another says Australia is leading the pack.

Pharmacare is for Kids Too

 Written by Avram Denburg and Steve Morgan You are the parent of a sick child. You have a limited budget and you must decide to buy the medicine the doctor prescribed for your child or provide food and shelter for your family instead. What do you do? Sadly this dilemma is one too

Could This be the Best Campaign Ad Ever?

 In what may be the greatest campaign ad of our time, Wyatt Scott announced his MP candidacy for the new Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding by flying on a giant Canada goose and then stabbing a dragon in the head. “My name’s Wyatt Scott, and I’m running for parliament!” he roared just

Double-Failing on Health

 Why it is critical we learn from past healthcare mistakes Forty is the new thirty. Orange is the new black. And Failure is the new success. It seems these days that no success story is complete without a failure (or two) along the way: the bankruptcy that gave birth to

How Technology is Transforming Health Care – Cheryl-Anne’s Story

 Cheryl-Anne was diagnosed with a very rare form leukemia, a complex disease to understand. She believed part of getting well depended upon understanding her disease, her treatments and their effects. She needed to become a full, participating, engaged patient. She needed to get information. Before digital health tools were available

The Most Valuable Commodity in Health Care

 In Oliver Stone’s 1987 film Wall Street, Gordon Gekko, the ruthless corporate raider played by Michael Douglas, explains that when picking stocks, “the most valuable commodity I know of is information.” This same mantra should apply when it comes to the serious business of making health care decisions — but

Inconsistency in the Cost of and Accessibility to Prescription Medications Drugs

 Canada’s health care system faces some daunting challenges. One of the crucial inconsistencies is the variation of access to prescription medications across the country. Like all other health-care services and products, prescription medications have a monetary value and are subject to inflation and the effects of Canada’s changing demographics. Let

Pensions & Peace of Mind Series: Long-Term Care

 It is no secret that a secure and enjoyable retirement requires critical thinking, strategic planning and diligent budgeting. Many Canadians are aware of this but are unaware of the fact that a portion of that retirement budgeting must be allocated for long-term health care costs. This may come as a

Teams in Action: Primary Health Care Teams for Canadians

 Joe, 60, has diabetes, high blood NO pressure and arthritis. He says that shuttling around town to various health appointments is like a full-time job. "I'm never sure how much these people talk to each other," he adds. "I worry that something's going to get missed somewhere." Health concerns —