Our neighbor and long-time friend Canada has been the subject of President Trump’s ire -and his tariffs - since he became President again in January. He’s even claimed Canadians would have “much better” health coverage if Canada were somehow to become the 51st US state. Actually, Canada - like almost all other industrialized countries - has a publicly funded, government run health care system. Which is somewhat similar to the UK’s venerable NHS. Which of course this podcast has looked at several times. Every Canadian in the country legally is covered. Although some fringe coverage can vary from province to province. Since there’s so much inaccurate information about the Canadian system floating around – I thought I’d try to set it all straight in a conversation with the extremely well-qualified Gregory P. Marchildon, CM, PhD, FCAH. He’s Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. And the Founding Director of the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Gregory Marchildon has worked as a lawyer, senior public servant, and consultant for numerous governments and international organizations. In recognition of his impact on both scholarship and public policy in Canada, he was made a member of the Order of Canada. He has written extensively on Canadian history and public policy. His most recent book is Tommy Douglas and the Quest for Medicare in Canada published by the University of Toronto Press in 2025. I’m embarrassed at how much I didn’t know about the Canadian system – even with research – until I talked to Greg. I think you’ll learn a lot also..

YouTube Episode https://youtu.be/_DxK-GUviPY