Distance-related geographic barriers challenge the ability of health systems to allocate health care resources equitably according to need. The paper adapts the concentration-index approach, commonly used for measuring income-related equity, to assess distance-related equity in hospital...

Canada’s restrictions on the role of private health insurance for publicly insured physician and hospital services are unique among countries with universal, publicly funded health care systems. Pressure is mounting in Canada, however, to loosen these restrictions and create a parallel system...

A common goal of health policy is to allocate public health care resources according to need. This paper presents a method for developing needs-based funding formulae using individual-level linked health survey and utilization data. Needs-based funding shares are developed in three basic stages:...

Pharmaceuticals are the focus of increased scrutiny by public insurers. Between 1985 and 1998, drug expenditure in Canada increased by 226% - approximately double the increase in total expenditure on health. Prescribed and non-prescribed drugs now comprise the second-largest share of health care...

Although a majority of Canadians hold some form of private health care insurance -- most commonly obtained as an employment benefit -- private insurance finances only 12% of health care expenditures in Canada and its financing role is essentially limited to complementary coverage for services...

Needs-based health care funding methods are increasingly being considered for the Canadian health care system, particularly as a basis for allocating funds from central Ministries of Health to local and regional health authorities. Standardized Mortality Ratios are one of the commonly used...

Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) are a method of financing health care that includes two essential features: an individual (or household)-specific account whose balances are earmarked for health care expenses; a high-deductible, catastrophic insurance plan that covers expenses above the...

Objectives: This article examines the extent of geographic disparity in premature mortality in Ontario and considers factors that may underlie variations in premature mortality across geographic areas. Data Source: Mortality data for years 1992-1996 were obtained from Vital Statistics Records,...

In 1997, the Canadian National Forum on Health recommended creation of a national pharmacare program, the key elements of which would include: (a) universal first-dollar coverage for medically necessary medications; (b) comprehensive information support tools for managers, clinicians, and...