The Canadian and U.S. health care systems: profiles and policies

Comparisons are made in this article between the Canadian and U.S. health care insurance and delivery systems. Canada has universal, comprehensive, and publicly funded health insurance for medically necessary hospital and physician services. The United States does not. Aggregate health care expenditures for both countries are examined as are those for the hospital and physician services sectors. Policy differences between both systems, including system models, health insurance financing, resource commitment and control, and service limits, are presented. Observations are made regarding two elements of the Canadian model--prospective physician sector and prospective hospital global budgeting--and whether they are transplantable to the United States.