Great Issues in the Social Sciences

Health Policy in Canada and the U.S.

HSP 154   CRN 4590

Monday & Wednesday

2:10 – 4 PM

Ferguson 230

Dr. Al Pheley and Dr. Greg Saltzman

Course Description:

A comparison of health policy in Canada and the U.S.  This course addresses contemporary issues related to health insurance, racial disparities in health outcomes, and public health problems that require behavioral changes and not just medical treatment.

Insurance

While Canada and the U.S. have many similarities, they have very different health insurance systems.  Canada has a single-payer system:  one, government-run, health insurance system in each province covering all residents of that province.  The U.S. has a patchwork quilt system:  many people covered by employer-sponsored plans, the elderly covered by a federal government program (Medicare), some of the poor covered by a federal-state program (Medicaid), some covered by individual insurance, and some without insurance.  How do these different insurance systems affect access, cost, and health outcomes?  What lessons does the Canadian experience hold for policy makers in the U.S.?

Racial Disparities

In the U.S., blacks and Native Americans have substantially shorter life expectancies than whites.  To what extent would a Canadian-style single payer health insurance system reduce the disparity in life expectancy?  To what extent does the disparity stem from racial differences in housing, employment conditions, and exposure to environmental hazards?  To what extent does it stem from genetic differences, lifestyle, or attitudes towards medical treatment?  To what extent does it stem from racial discrimination by health providers?  Has Canada been more successful than the U.S. in reducing racial disparities in health outcomes?

Public Health

Childhood obesity, smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases have significant adverse effects on health.  Medical treatment can help mitigate these adverse effects, but behavioral changes are needed to prevent illness.  What policies have Canada and the U.S. adopted to address public health challenges such as these?

Assignments (tentative) 

·         Three short papers

·         A PowerPoint presentation in which a team of 2-3 students makes a health policy proposal

·         Participation in class discussion, including helping to lead the discussion for one assigned reading