Skip to main content
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal logoLink to CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal
. 1996 Aug 15;155(4):404–406.

The alluring myth of private medicine.

M Gordon 1, P B Berger 1
PMCID: PMC1488043  PMID: 8752065

Abstract

Canada's medicare system has provided Canadians with high-quality health care for almost three decades. Now Canadian health care appears to be at risk of losing the single-payer system, which is the premise on which medicare is built. As medicare comes under increasing financial pressure, many are calling for the introduction of private care as a means of bolstering our health care system and maintaining its quality. Although it appears alluring to some politicians, physicians and commentators, privatization could very well lead to the demise of the principles and practices of the Canadian health care system as we know it, with little clear benefit to the public or physicians.

Full text

PDF
404

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Enthoven A., Kronick R. A consumer-choice health plan for the 1990s. Universal health insurance in a system designed to promote quality and economy (2). N Engl J Med. 1989 Jan 12;320(2):94–101. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198901123200205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Evans R. G. Canada: the real issues. J Health Polit Policy Law. 1992 Winter;17(4):739–762. doi: 10.1215/03616878-17-4-739. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Glaser W. A. The competition vogue and its outcomes. Lancet. 1993 Mar 27;341(8848):805–812. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(93)90572-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gray C. As Ottawa reduces stake in health care system, does it open door for private sector? CMAJ. 1994 Sep 1;151(5):643–644. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Harnden A. R. The American health care system: a perspective from a visiting British general practitioner. J R Soc Med. 1994 Jan;87(1):47–49. doi: 10.1177/014107689408700122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hillman A. L. Financial incentives for physicians in HMOs. Is there a conflict of interest? N Engl J Med. 1987 Dec 31;317(27):1743–1748. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198712313172725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Iglehart J. K. The American health care system. Private insurance. N Engl J Med. 1992 Jun 18;326(25):1715–1720. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199206183262526. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kassirer J. P. Managed care and the morality of the marketplace. N Engl J Med. 1995 Jul 6;333(1):50–52. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199507063330110. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kassirer J. P. Tribulations and rewards of academic medicine--where does teaching fit? N Engl J Med. 1996 Jan 18;334(3):184–185. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199601183340310. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Korcok M. Takeover of Ontario Blue Cross may be sign MDs will soon face US-style managed care. CMAJ. 1995 May 15;152(10):1672–1675. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Korcok M. The brave new world of managed care. CMAJ. 1995 Jul 1;153(1):89–91. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Macara A. W. Reforming the NHS reforms. BMJ. 1994 Mar 26;308(6932):848–849. doi: 10.1136/bmj.308.6932.848. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Maynard A., Bloor K. Introducing a market to the United Kingdom's National Health Service. N Engl J Med. 1996 Feb 29;334(9):604–608. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199602293340918. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mechanic D. The Americanization of the British National Health Service. Health Aff (Millwood) 1995 Summer;14(2):51–67. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.14.2.51. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Robinson J. C., Casalino L. P. The growth of medical groups paid through capitation in California. N Engl J Med. 1995 Dec 21;333(25):1684–1687. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199512213332506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Shea S., Nickerson K. G., Tenenbaum J., Morris T. Q., Rabinowitz D., O'Donnell K., Perez E., Weisfeldt M. L. Compensation to a department of medicine and its faculty members for the teaching of medical students and house staff. N Engl J Med. 1996 Jan 18;334(3):162–167. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199601183340307. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Silversides A. Role of private insurance in public system source of debate at CHEPA conference. CMAJ. 1995 Sep 15;153(6):827–828. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sullivan P. Private health care dominates meeting as general council calls for national debate on issue. CMAJ. 1995 Sep 15;153(6):801–803. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Swartz K., Brennan T. A. Integrated health care, capitated payment, and quality: the role of regulation. Ann Intern Med. 1996 Feb 15;124(4):442–448. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-124-4-199602150-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Woolhandler S., Himmelstein D. U. Extreme risk--the new corporate proposition for physicians. N Engl J Med. 1995 Dec 21;333(25):1706–1708. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199512213332510. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Medical Association

RESOURCES