Antonia Maioni compared health care in the United States and Canada at the annual Palmer lecture series recently.

Maioni, director of the Institute for the Study of Canada, spoke at the Asael E. and Maydell C. Palmer annual lecture series Thursday at the BYU David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies.

The theme of the lecture focused on the similarities and differences found in the two health care systems. The lecturer began with an anecdote about her recent experience in a Canadian emergency room.

Maioni said that after her little boy complained about a headache, she immediately took him to the emergency room of a provincial hospital in Canada. She did not have to fill any forms, contact private health providers or wait in line to be treated.

She said that fortunately Canadians are not faced with the problems of accessing health care. That night when I got home from the hospital, I got a call from my pediatrician, asking how my son was doing, she said.

"Health care in Canada is a public good," Maioni said. "Every legal resident of a providence is insured. Provincial hospitals are administered by each providence, not the federal government."

Maioni explained that since 1962 much has been done to ensure health care for all Canadians. There has been a long struggle to ensure that every person has accessibility to health providers. But even though health care is a public good, it is not free, she said.

"Health care in Canada is paid through provincial and federal taxes imposed," Maioni said. "Forty percent of paychecks pay for health care. This is the highest tax jurisdiction in North America."

Maioni said that the Canadians focus so much on health care that other sectors such as construction and education suffer.

In Canada, health care is provided based on need. If a person is in need of a heart transplant, it is covered. Dental procedures are not covered through provincial health plans. This type of health care is good because it is provided to every citizen, but it differs from private health care providers in the United States who cover a variety of

Medical procedures, Maioni said. In Canada it does not matter if a person has money, health care services are provided based on need alone. The waiting lists of people in need of medical attention are long, she said.

"There are a lot of differences between Canada and United States' health care," Maioni said. "The United States went further in the 1930s and 1940s with the creation of programs such as social security, Medicaid and Medicare."

Maioni said American's socio-economic status determines the type of medical coverage they receive. High premiums have become a burden for Americans seeking for medical insurance provided by employers or private companies. Sometimes the uninsured are seen as a drag for the health care system in America, she said.

Maioni believes Canada and the United States can learn from one another in providing effective health care.

Copyright Brigham Young University 2 Oct 2008