Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Rethinking universal healthcare in Canada through a global health ethics lens

Canada’s universal healthcare is at a crossroads, requiring ethical reform to realign domestic equity with global leadership.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Martin, D. et al. Lancet 391, 1718–1735 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Lavergne, M. R. et al. Healthc. Manage. Forum 36, 272–279 (2023).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Allin, S., Marchildon, G. & Peckham, A. International health care system profiles. The Commonwealth Fund https://www.commonwealthfund.org/international-health-policy-center/countries/canada (5 June 2020).

  4. World Bank Group. Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure) - Canada, OECD members. World Bank https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.OOPC.CH.ZS?locations=CA-OE (accessed 4 April 2025).

  5. Rebić, N. et al. CMAJ 196, E1331–E1340 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Statistics Canada. One in four Canadians aged 12 and older avoided oral health care services because of cost. Statistics Canada https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/7613-one-four-canadians-aged-12-and-older-avoided-oral-health-care-services-because-cost (10 January 2025).

  7. Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. Resolution 6: Reject Medical Tourism to Safeguard Medicine (Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, 2013).

  8. Turner, L. Can. Fam. Physician 53, 1639–1641 (2007). 1646–1648.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Government of Canada. 2024 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2024).

  10. Moir, M. & Barua, B. Despite high spending, Canada’s health-care system is failing badly. Fraser Institute https://www.fraserinstitute.org/commentary/despite-high-spending-canadas-health-care-system-failing-badly (23 November 2022).

  11. McNaughton, C. D. et al. J. Am. Coll. Emerg. Physicians Open 5, e13299 (2024).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. OECD. Waiting Times for Health Services: Next in Line (OECD Publishing, 2020).

Download references

Acknowledgements

The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views, decisions or policies of their institutions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel A. Adeyinka.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Adeyinka, D.A., Winquist, B. Rethinking universal healthcare in Canada through a global health ethics lens. Nat. Health 1, 171–173 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44360-025-00013-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44360-025-00013-w

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing