Opinion: The tale of two Medicares: Canadian and American
Perpetuating myths about Medicare won't provide any solutions to help the millions of patients in need.
Medicare for all — or the idea that every American should have some form of public health insurance — continues to forge its way into political debates. With such momentum, however, can come fearmongering and obstructionism. History and data may be of some help in disentangling any distortions.
The United States and Canada launched their respective Medicare programs within a few years of each another: and . In the U.S., amid pushback from health care industry groups, American seniors were the only ones who received health insurance coverage, whereas all Canadians gained coverage regardless of their age or income.
