Reversing the Stigma around Canada's Poor-Performing Healthcare Systems.

Abstract

Recent statistics report that healthcare spending growth is persistently high; in recent years, spending growth exceeded 5% (CIHI 2022). Some portion of the outsized growth can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, though the cause is irrelevant. High spending growth in the healthcare sector is not a good prospect for taxpayers or for education and social programs competing for the same pot of money. Spending is important, but it is not the only attribute for measuring the success of our provinces' and territories' efforts to fund healthcare services that maintain or improve their populations' health.