An important part of this essay will assess the central arguments epitomized by the protagonists of the two-tiers system, specifically in the "Framework for Reform, Report of the Premier's Advisory Council on Health, 2002" A particular focus will be assessing the rationale of the pro-public funding because it is consonant with the core of the main central arguments. The current discourse on a possible introduction of a two-tiers health care system represents one of the most dangerous social projects since it would substantially erode the very fabric of the Canadian society, Canadian identity and the Canadian traditional values.

One of the central argument of the protagonists of the two-tiers system is based on assumption that the system is no longer financ

this year. The sick and the poor often have to pay the highest premiums. The issue is not whether we will pay more as a society for health. We will. It is about the type of society we want. Either it is one where individuals assume risk without regard to ability to pay as in the United States. Or it is a society where through government we spread risk and spend collectively because health is a fundamental human right. We, on this side of the House, prefer the Canadian way. Where cost is shared by the entire population through a public health care system. If our costs go up we will have to pay for them. And I know that Canadians will be prepared to pay that cost. But we will do so collectively as a society.28

The final argument related to the acute crisis due to shortages of various health providers and consequent "brain drain" of family practice physicians and specialists, nurses, nurse practitioners, who ultimately leave to the U.S. These shortages affect the entire spectrum of health providers including, mental health practitioners, pharmacists, medical laboratory technologists, rehabilitation therapists, dentists, dental surgeons, chiropractors, podiatrists, and so on. A new privately financed health care system with strong economic incentives for the health providers are believed to be the adequate remedy for this serious crisis.

In this context of a rather bleak forecast for the Canadian public health care system,

Canadians want to preserve the core Medicare values of universal coverage, access based on needs and fairness. Canadians want committed leadership and financial support from the federal government for health care. In a recent public survey by Ekos Research Associates, nearly 80% of those polled said they wanted the federal government to either maintain or increase its role in the health care sector, while fully 89% said Ottawa and the provinces should work together to improve the health care system.20

Alberta's approach outlined in the "A Framework for Reform, Report of the Premier's Advisory Council on Health, 2002", can be noted that one of the critical elements in its comprehensive move towards two-tiers system is to link health care premiums to actions to stay healthy, providing tax credits or other tax incentives, or using medical savings accounts or some other form of co-payment to give people more control over their own health care spending.8 On the other hand suggestions were brought forward that there should be penalties for people who do not look after their own health and personal well being.9 In spite of this, it seems that the most important issue remains the access to the health care system. To take the province of Alberta for example, the waiting period is indeed an alarming feature of the Canadian health care crisis in some cases seriously threatening the lives and the health of Canadians. Waiting times for access to radiology for certain cancers (breast and prostate cancers) have increased to between 2 and 6.5 weeks for breast cancer and between 7 and 9.5 weeks for prostate cancer while waiting times for chemotherapy range from 4.5 to 10 weeks.10 The number of people waiting for open-heart surgery went down by 2.5% between March 2000 and March 2001. The number of surgeries done in the province went up by 8%. Waiting times ranged from 11 days for urgent inpatients to 15 - 18 weeks for planned outpatients11. Aside from urgent cases, the waiting times are longer than targets set by the province. The number of hip and joint replacements has gone up by 7% between March 2000 and March 2001, but the number of people waiting for those surgeries has gone up by 33%. Therefore people wait an average of two to six months, and for some people, the wait is much longer.12

Another argument is in the "obsolete" nature and structure of the Canadian health care system being a government monopoly resembling to what some observers link to as a command and control system.13 Some of t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Council Health, Privatization Canada, Canadians Waiting, Ministers Health, Research Associates, Technology Canada's, Health Act, Canada United, Claims Canada, Health Care, health care, care system, health care system, canadian health, health system, federal government, care system canada, public system, waiting times, system canada, private insurance, two-tiers system, canadian health care, drug costs expected, framework reform report,
Approximate Word count = 3106
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)