Medicare (Canada)
Medicare () is an unofficial designation used to refer to the publicly funded, single-payer health care system of Canada. Canada does not have a unified national health care system; instead, the system consists of 13 provincial and territorial health insurance plans that provides universal health care coverage to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and certain temporary residents. These systems are individually administered on a provincial or territorial basis, within guidelines set by the federal government. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the "Canada Health Act" and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.
Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Services Act
After several years of debate between the stakeholders, including Canadian medical professional associations and the provincial governments, the federal government made an offer to fund approximately one half of the national cost of diagnostic services and in-patient hospital care for provinces that implemented insurance plans. Five provinces, namely British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Newfoundland, accepted the proposal, laying the groundwork for a Canadian health insurance plan.