Where is health insurance cooler: in the U.S. or Canada?
Comparison of the U.S. and Canadian health care systems.
Despite mixed opinions about the effectiveness of the system, 94% of Canadians say their health care system is a source of personal and collective pride in their country.
So how different is Canada's health care system from that of the United States. In 2017, Canada spent about 10.4% of its GDP on health care. By comparison, the United States spent about 17.2% of GDP. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that Canada spent about $4500 per person in 2017. In the United States, that figure exceeds $10,200 per person. Out-of-pocket spending is also lower in Canada. On average, Canadians spent about $650 per person in 2016; Americans spent nearly $1,100.
In addition to lower health care costs, Canada also has better health outcomes than the United States. But compared to other countries, Canada's health care system has room to grow. Researchers looked at mortality rates that could have been prevented with proper access to health care in 11 countries. Canada ranked seventh on the list, while America ranked worst. We can see the same trends in infant mortality rates. Canada outperforms the United States, but other countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have much lower infant mortality rates than Canada.
Canadians also live longer than Americans. Life expectancy in Canada is one of the highest of any country and is almost four years higher than in the United States. In addition, the maternal mortality rate in Canada is almost four times lower than in the United States, and more Americans die of heart disease and stroke than Canadians.
So how does Canada manage to spend less money than the U.S. with a more efficient health care system?
Canada's Medicare program is designed to provide the same quality services to all citizens regardless of people's ability to pay and to reduce administrative costs. There is some variation in what services are covered depending on the province, but most basic services are equally available to all residents.
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