Course:DHYG404/groupfive2009

Key strategies needed to incorporate/implement in order to align our health care system with the needs and values of Canadians are as follows:

    1.  Provide access to medically necessary services where and when needed (p.6).

• Ensuring Canadians have timely access to medical care; a recommendation to reduce growing waitlists.

• Ensure universality and accessibility of health care insurance for all, and to address shortage of health care professionals.

• The Federal Government (FG) should implement a federal standard where all province/territories have the financial resources to meet the health care needs of the citizens:(p.5)

• Instigate a federal plan by ensuring that no Canadian suffers from financial hardship

• Provide funding for creation of multi-disciplinary primary health care teams

• Ensure publicly funded doctors and hospitals do not rely on the income of individuals

• Increase federal funds to provinces for home care support services

• Create tax credit and reduction for home care consumers

• Provide portability between provinces of medicare coverage, and create a National Viable Health Care Insurance Premium.

• Ensure public funding meets the needs of Canadians through the implementation of high quality hospital, doctor and professional support services. (p.8)

    2.  Improve Governance of the Health Care System.

• To provide an annual assessment of the state of health care system for the Canadian Public that would be:

a. Independent of the government

b. At a national level

c. Funded by the government

d. Consist of a Commissioner and Council

• Provide research in health promotion policies and preventions strategies.

• Increase Government revenue as opposed to choosing growing waitlists or allowing the development of a parallel private funded tier (p.9)

    3.  Provide a health care system that is built upon a collaborative partnership between the provinces, territories and Federal Government (FG).

• Financial resources distributed equally amongst provinces and territories by the FG.

• Interprovincial harmonization in which FG plays a crucial role implementing country-wide standards.

• Facilitate health care renewal through intergovernmental co-operation (p.6).

    4. Increase government revenue to ensure sustainability.

• Changes should be made to the structure and functioning of the system, to make sure the current system is sustainable over long term.(p.10)

• To ensure that the new money is used to buy change, to reform, and renew the system.

• Willingness of taxpayers to pay for the system, continued economic growth, taxation at levels that do not damage Canada's ability to invest or create jobs or compete with other OECD including the US, and improvement of a health care information system are needed.

• Ref: Kirby (2002) The Health of Canadians: The Federal Role-Final Report http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/soci-e/rep-e/repoct02vol6-e.htm*