Tommy Douglas is described as the “Father of Canadian Medicare” as he gave us our Medicare system in Canada. Tommy had a dedication to social equality and equal access to medical where the medical bills are paid by the government and not the patient (CBC, 1962). This created the CHA which outlines the criteria for health insurance plans which need to be met by provinces and territories in order for them to receive full Federal cash transfers in support of health. In the end, all Provinces and territories are required to provide reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and doctors' services (Health Canada, 2012). These are the five CHA principles outlined by Health Canada (2012):
1. Public Administration: The Provincial and territorial plans must be administered and operated on a nonprofit basis by a public authority accountable to the Provincial or territorial government.
2. Comprehensiveness: The Provincial and territorial plans must insure all medically necessary services provided by hospitals, medical practitioners and dentists working within a hospital setting.
3. Universality: The Provincial and territorial plans must entitle all insured persons to health insurance coverage on uniform terms and conditions.
4. Accessibility: The Provincial and territorial plans must provide all insured persons reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services without financial or other barriers.
5. Portability: The Provincial and territorial plans must cover all insured persons when they move to another province or territory within Canada and when they travel abroad. The provinces and territories have some limits on coverage for services provided outside Canada, and may require prior approval for non-emergency services delivered outside their jurisdiction.
In my current role as Manager with Alberta Health Services, I am accountable to ensure correct process are followed to allow patients access to health care and our processes are aligned with the above listed CHA principles. My ability to action these principles as a leader, I rely on the following resources to guide a local and provincial standardized process:
Cardiac Sciences Executive Leadership Committee
Cardiac Sciences SCN Committee
Community of Practice – Nationally, Provincially and Calgary Zone
Libin Cardiovascular Institute
Public Health Agency of Canada
Health Canada
Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health
Provincial Funding for Cardiac Sciences Programs, Procedures and Tests
References
CBC. (1962). Tommy Douglas, Canada’s Father of Medicare [Video, time 1:13]. Retrieved
Health Canada. (2012). Canada’s health care system. Retrieved from
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