Husereau Don, Culyer Anthony J, Neumann Peter, Jacobs Philip
Institute of Health Economics, 1200, 10405 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T5J 3N4, Canada,
Appl Health Econ Health Policy. 2015 Jun;13(3):273-9. doi: 10.1007/s40258-014-0133-6.
Canadian and US health systems have often been characterized as having vastly different approaches to the financing and delivery of healthcare, with Canada portrayed as more reliant on rationing based on costs. In this article, we examine the similarities and differences between the two countries, the evolution and current role of health economic evaluation, and the roles played by health economists. We suggest both countries have similarly used economic evaluation to a limited extent for drug and immunization decisions, with variability in use more of a reflection of the incompleteness of both systems and their inherent institutional barriers rather than political ideology.
