Quebec health

In Encyclopedia by Marcel Bodin Views: 1

The Quebec health care system allowed Quebec to considerably lengthen life expectancy since the middle of the 20th century. In half a century, the system had to adapt to the progress of medical science, while transforming an organization where Catholic religious congregations play a key role in a largely State system, which is 38.8% of the budget of the Government of Quebec in 2007 and 8% of GDP.

History

Marie of the Incarnation and Marguerite d’Youville founded the first Quebec hospitals, in Quebec, Hôtel-Dieu of Quebec and Montreal in the 18th century.

Religious congregations founded gradually in the three following century a series of hospitals, in all regions of Quebec. During this period, McGill University, is positioned as a centre of world renowned medical research, in particular with the work of Dr. Wilder Penfield. The well known neurosurgeon founded the Institute of Neurology of Montreal in 1934.

Major health care facilities are managed by communities of nuns until the end of the time Duplessis in 1959, and even beyond. This however does not exclude the existence of a public health administration, as evidenced by the existence of a network of health units in each County, from 1926.

Taken in hand by the provinces. Canadian Health Act. Implementation of hospital insurance in 1961 and health insurance, starting in 1971.

Implementation of the general scheme of drug in 1997. Medical and pharmaceutical research is very active in Montreal, with laboratories of major global corporations in the pharmaceutical field.

Organization of the system

Health services and social services are integrated in a same administration. The fundamental principles are universality, equity and public administration. The Quebec health system is public, which means that the State acts as principal underwriter and administrator, and that is funded by general taxation. This provides access to care regardless of the level of income of the patient.

Regional health and social services, number eighteen, agencies put in place services in their respective territories. They manage a network of public institutions, which can be one of the following types:

• Hospital,
• Centre for health and social services, including local Centres of community services (CLSC),
• Accommodation and long-term care, Center
• Rehabilitation Centre,
• Protection of children and youth centre.

Private resources complement the portrait of the health system. These are:

• offices and clinics of doctors, dentists, etc,
• pharmacies,
• community organizations,
• of private homes for the elderly with health services.

The health insurance of Quebec Régie pays the doctors fees according to grids negotiated with the federations of physicians. Some services and supplies may be at the expense of patients.

Physicians are members of the College of physicians of Quebec and associations of specialists, where appropriate. Physicians can practice in private clinics, in a local community service Centre or in a hospital. One of the main problems is the lack of medical staff in the region.

Cost of the system

Most of the costs are paid by the health insurance card (also called the Sun card).

Opening to the private sector in the health system

Dr. Jacques Chaoulli received in 2005 the Supreme Court of the Canada a judgment which opens the door to a greater place for medical privacy in Quebec, at least for certain procedures, such as some orthopedic surgeries. The reason adduced is that waiting lists are too long and that the health of the patient becomes critical. In its judgment, the Supreme Court agreed with the Montreal medical and applied to the Quebec Government to allow the private.

Defenders of the system point finger the United States system that robs 46 million Americans of health insurance. They speak of medicine at two speeds. However, the France, the Germany and the Scandinavian countries, which have a parallel public-private system, are able to provide universal coverage to all citizens without any waiting list, for the same price and with the same number of physicians in Quebec [REF. necessary].

Preliminary bibliography

History of health in Quebec

• Hudon, François (1996). Book Review – François Guérard; History of health in Québec, in Canadian Bulletin of Medical History / Canadian Bulletin of medical history, 13 (2). pp. 367-370. ISSN 08232105
• Guérard, François (2000). The history of the Quebec Health: filiations and specificities, in Canadian Bulletin of Medical History / history of medicine, 17 Canadian newsletter. pp. 55-72. ISSN 08232105
• Revue d’histoire de l ‘ Amérique française, Volume 53 number 1 (1999) ISSN: 0035-2357
• Desjardins, Rita (2001) the Montreal doctors on the margins of orthodoxy, in Canadian Bulletin of Medical History / Canadian Bulletin of medical history, ISSN 08232105