Health care in Canada 10% of GDP

Health care in Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Health care spending in Canada is projected to reach $160 billion, or 10.6% of GDP, in 2007. This is slightly above the average for OECD countries. In Canada, the various levels of government pay for about 70% of Canadians' health care costs, which is slightly below the OECD average. Under the terms of the Canada Health Act, the publicly-funded insurance plans are required to pay for medically necessary care, but only if it is delivered in hospitals or by physicians. There is considerable variation across the provinces/territories as to the extent to which such costs as outpatient prescription drugs, physical therapy, long-term care, home care, dental care and even ambulance services are covered."

In the U.S., healthcare consumed 16% of GDP in 2005. Canadians aren't getting any more for their money, but they're spending less on it. Canadian health care is held up as a model of what Americans "could" get for their money under "universal healthcare", but Canadian care isn't actually universal and it doesn't necessarily cover as much care as American health care does.