The survey, conducted for the Canadian Medical Association by Ipsos Reid, found 59 % of Canadians agree that quickly increasing costs of health care in Canada will make it difficult for government to provide other services, such as education and pension benefits.

More than 90% of Canadians believed that making the health system more efficient was the best way to slow growing costs. However, only one third of them believed that governments and administrators were able to find efficiencies in the system. They (66% of them) "suggested" to the cabinet to provide a system of rewards and penalties to encourage healthy living, what could help slow down growing health costs. Almost half of Canadians were confident such a system would keep people healthier and out of the health care system. Many of them are even willing to pay more taxes to help fix the system. 50% of them did not mind to pay 10% more in taxes if they knew all of the money would go to health care. Most of surveyed people did not like the idea to tax Canadians based on how much health care a person has required over the year, up to a maximum amount. In general, it seems Canadians, trying to find an answer to how to deal with rising costs in healthcare system, are ready to look into all solutions to uphold the system of universal health care.

Miroslava Hospodarova