The most heated debate surrounding Canadian health care policy is on the potential role of for-profit hospitals and clinics. In the latest contribution to AIMS’ commentary series, Brian Ferguson identifies common Canadian myths about private health care systems and outlines the difficulties associated with estimating hospital productivity. Through a review of literature on both for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals and clinics, Mr. Ferguson concludes that permitting private hospitals to operate in Canada, under Medicare, will not destroy the current system. In fact, he suggests a potential for private, bed-equipped clinics to make a significant contribution to the Canadian health care system.
