The Canadian Consumer's Guide to Health Care

John H. Gryfe is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon practising in
Toronto.

As Canadians, we view medicare not as a privilege but as a right of
citizenship, one based on the principles of universality, accessibility,
portability, comprehensiveness, and public administration. The
escalating costs of delivering these services has necessitated the
introduction of a sixth principle, affordability. Provincial cutbacks to
annual health budgets have led many voters to believe that the principle
of affordability has severely compromised the other five principles and
ultimately left the consumer powerless to retain previous levels of
healthcare delivery. The author, a journalist and longtime commentator
on health issues, wants to turn her target audience, the average
Canadian, into a “vigilant consumer.” The goal of her examination of
Canada’s healthcare system is to make readers more effective advocates
of quality healthcare, both for themselves and their loved ones. This
readable guide will help readers achieve that.