Strengthening Canadian Medicare: How are we doing? What needs to change?

Canada’s health system performance lags behind many other wealthy industrialized countries – due in large measure to its poorly organized and supported primary care sector and the narrow scope of health care coverage under Medicare. This worrisome state of affairs can be reversed through:

1. targeted investments to strengthen primary care as the foundation of a high-performing health care system and

2. expansion of public health insurance to cover prescription drugs and other essential health services.

Despite frequent claims to the contrary, such public investments are affordable and will not endanger the Canadian economy.