To answer this question, we need to delve back into Canadian history and go back to the making of Canadian history Constitutional Act of 1867.

This is the DNA of Canadian democracy; This is the moment a legal document united three of the five British colonies in North America into one federal systemthen laid the foundation for the division of powers between a centralized parliament and provincial parliaments.

§ 91 of Law gave the federal government authority over matters of national importance and the power to “make laws for the peace, order and good government of Canada,” while Section 92 gave the provinces authority over “all matters of a purely local or private nature in Canada.” gives province”, which includes goods and property, taxes and hospitals.

Let’s look at ourselves 100 years later, i.e. at the time the law came into force Canadian Health Act (1984)which gives the federal government responsibility for setting and administering national policies for our health system. In return, the federal government contributes to the costs of administering health care Canada Health Transfer.

These two laws regulate how healthcare works in Canada. There Canadian Health Act provides a general national framework for our health care system, but the Constitution gives provincial and territorial governments the freedom to make decisions based on their own regional needs and resources.

What elements of the healthcare system are the same across the country?

There Canadian Health Act sets out several standards that provincial and territorial health plans must meet to receive federal funding. For example :

• Public administration : Health plans must be managed and operated on a not-for-profit basis by a public authority accountable to the provincial government. For example, Health insurance BC (in English) provides medical care on behalf of the provincial government of British Columbia.
• Entirety : All necessary medical services from hospitals and doctors must be covered.
• universality : Health insurance plans must cover all Canadian citizens and permanent residents. There Canadian Health Act defines insured persons as residents of a province or territory who are “legally entitled to reside or remain in Canada, other than tourists transiting or visiting the province.” Tourists typically have health insurance included in their travel insurance, and some refugee health care is covered under travel insurance Interim Federal Health Program.
• Transferability : Residents must have access to health care regardless of where they are in Canada. Travel also requires limited insurance coverage, which typically only covers emergency services.
• accessibility : Residents must have reasonable access to necessary medical services – the definition of “adequate access” is a matter for provincial or territorial authorities. Access should be based on health needs and not ability to pay.

There Canadian Health Act does not define what a necessary medical care. To determine what is necessary and what is not covered by public health care, provinces and territories must consult with provincial medical associations.

This means items are covered by public health insurance may vary by province. Take the example of in vitro fertilization (IVF):

A way of seeing things : When they have the power to define what is “medically necessary,” political leaders at the provincial and territorial levels can direct resources where they are needed most – which varies depending on the context in a country as large and diverse as Canada can be. The main criticism of this system is that access to certain health services covered by public plans is not equitable across Canada.