Canadian worrying and willing to pay more taxes for health care system - Romanow Commission - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Community Action, June 17, 2002

HALIFAX -- Only one in two Canadians is confident a solution will be found to sustain the health care system, according to the fifth annual Health Care in Canada Survey, conducted by POLLARA. They are ready to pay more taxes to support the system and oppose medical savings accounts.

The number of people who say their confidence is falling--58%--has increased by seven per cent since 2000. The most negative response rate was among women aged 35 or older.

According to the survey most Canadians:

* expressed satisfaction with the care they receive--a number that has increased slightly over the last two years;

* are also satisfied with their access to information about disease prevention and wellness although only about half of patients said Canadians are receiving quality care. That compares with three-quarters of health care providers and managers and 64% of nurses;

* believe it cost more money to sustain or improve the system. Most are willing to pay but do not want to see other social services erode as a result. If a tax increase were implemented to fund the system, more people would prefer it not be related to how much the individual uses the system.

The survey found health care professionals concerned with these issues:

* shortages of personnel in their professions that have a significant negative impact on their ability to function in their jobs,

* funding topped the list of issues among health care managers,

* the general public was almost evenly split when it comes to satisfaction with the level of reporting to the public on health system performance,

* only 29% said they were somewhat or very satisfied with how much input the public has on decisions about the future of the health system.

Respondents tended to favour the idea of having an arm's-length organization administer health care and opposed a "medical savings account" approach to funding. A clear majority said it is the responsibility of all Canadians to support the health care system financially.

The survey was sponsored by the Canadian Home Care Association, Frosst Health Care Foundation, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Pharmacists Association, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Association for Community Care, Canadian Healthcare Association, Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations, Merck Frosst Canada Ltd., and POLLARA.

514-428-3819

How Much We Spend

North to south, east to west, Canadian everywhere spend substantial amounts per person on health averaged $2,396 in 2001 (forecast). Average private sector spending was $902 per Canadian.

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