Private funding of health care is increasing faster than public funding. Now the Canadian Institute for Health Information reports that public funding is expected to fall to 69.7% of total funding in 2012. Public funding has been much higher -- in 1976 it provided 77% of all health care funding. After a slow, multi-year decline, it had stabilized by 1996. But it has now fallen three years in a row. Canadian public sector health care spending is expected to increase 2.9% in 2012 while private funding is expected to increase 4.6% (more than half again as fast). Public sector expenditure is the lowest of all provinces and territories in Ontario -- at 67.8% in 2011. Ontario also saw the second lowest increase per capita in public sector health care expenditures in 2011, with a 1% increase. The cross-Canada increase was 1.7%. Private funding of health care increases inequality as only those with the cash (or robust private insurance) will receive the full range health care s
Notes from Leftwords -- Doug Allan