Canada Health Act
| Canada Health Act | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| An Act relating to cash contributions by Canada and relating to criteria and conditions in respect of insured health services and extended health care services | |
| Citation | Canada Health Act |
| Enacted by | Parliament of Canada |
| Date assented to | April 1, 1984 |
| Legislative history | |
| Introduced by | Monique Bégin, Minister of Health |
| First reading | December 12, 1983 |
The Canada Health Act (CHA) (French: Loi canadienne sur la santé) is a piece of Canadian federal legislation, adopted in 1984, which specifies the conditions and criteria with which the provincial and territorial health insurance programs must conform in order to receive federal transfer payments under the Canada Health Transfer. These criteria require universal coverage of all insured services (for all "insured persons") “Insured health services” means hospital services, physician services and surgical-dental services provided to insured persons, if they are not otherwise covered, for example by Workers Safety Insurance.
The CHA deals only with how the system is financed. Because of the constitutional division of powers among levels of government, adherence to CHA conditions is voluntary. However, the fiscal levers have helped to ensure a relatively consistent level of coverage across the country. Although there are disputes as to the details, the CHA remains highly popular.
In popular discussion, the CHA is often conflated with the health care system in general. However, the CHA is silent about how care should be organized and delivered, as long as its criteria are met. The Act states that "the primary objective of Canadian health care policy is to protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers."
Another cause for debate is the scope of what should be included as "insured services". For historical reasons, the CHA's definition of insured services is largely restricted to care delivered in hospitals or by physicians. As care has moved from hospitals to home and community, it increasingly has been moving beyond the terms of the CHA. International data shows that approximately 70% of Canadian health expenditures are paid from public sources, placing Canada below the OECD average. However, health insurance covers surgery and services, including psychotherapy, in clinics and doctors' offices as well as dental surgery at dental offices and laboratory tests.
...
Wikipedia