Expanding health care coverage in Canada: a dramatic shift in the debate. Issue 3 (8th July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Marchildon, Gregory P.; Tuohy, Carolyn H.
• Is Part Of: Health economics, policy and law. Volume 16:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 371
• Page End: 377
• Publication Date: 2021-07-08
• Subjects: Canadian federalism, -- Canadian medicare, -- COVID-19 response, -- long-term care reform, -- pharmaceutical coverage reform; Medical economics -- Periodicals; Medical policy -- Periodicals; Medical laws and legislation -- Periodicals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1017/S1744133121000062
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-1331

Abstract

Abstract: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted the health policy debate in Canada. While the pre-pandemic focus of policy experts and government reports was on the question of whether to add outpatient pharmaceuticals to universal health coverage, the clustering of pandemic deaths in long-term care facilities has spurred calls for federal standards in long-term care (LTC) and its possible inclusion in universal health coverage. This has led to the probability that the federal government will attempt to expand medicare as Canadians have known it for the first time in over a half century. However, these efforts are likely to fail if the federal government relies on the shared-cost federalism that marked the earlier introduction of medicare. Two alternative pathways are suggested, one for LTC and one for pharmaceuticals, that are more likely to succeed given the state of the Canadian federation in the early 21st century.