Quote:
Originally Posted by opendoor
That's a fact basically everywhere. Modern healthcare is more expensive and a relatively older population is also more expensive to treat. But the lack of growth in funding relative to peer countries is pretty stark:
-In 1990 Canada was #2 on the OECD in total health spending as a % of GDP and now we're 10th.
-Also in 1990, Canada was #3 in the OECD in government health spending as a % of GDP and now we're 13th.
-Since the early '90s, Canada's government spending on healthcare (as a % of GDP) has increased by about 15-20%. That pales in comparison to countries like Japan (120%), Netherlands (85%), UK (85%), Australia (65%), Germany (60%), France (60%), New Zealand (60%), and Sweden (50%).
It's clear that peer countries are investing far more heavily in improving health care than Canada is, and it shows in the quality disparity.
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None of that is contrary what I said: Health care spending is increasing because demand and costs are increasing. So the next time someone comes out with the familiar refrain that we’ve been cutting health care funding in this country or province, you could chime in with those stats to disabuse them of that myth.
It’s also worth noting that most of those countries have older populations than Canada. And the European ones have higher tax rates than Canada - and higher taxes for everyone, not just higher for the wealthy.
The biggest barrier to Canada funding health care at European levels is an unwillingness of Canadians to be taxed at European levels.