(CPOD) Jun. 27, 2004 - Many Canadians would conditionally back private medical assistance, according to a poll by Environics Research Group. 66 per cent of respondents would support having health care services provided by the private sector, provided that patients are not required to pay out of their own pockets.

In Canada, the universality criterion establishes that all residents of a province or territory must be entitled to the insured, public-run health services provided by their provincial or territorial health care insurance plan on uniform terms and conditions.

Respondents are almost evenly split on whether individual Canadians should be given the right to buy private health care within the country if they do not receive timely access to services in the public system. 50 per cent would agree to implement such a rule, while 46 per cent disagree.

Canadian voters will renew the House of Commons tomorrow. Current prime minister and Liberal party leader Paul Martin has promised to invest $6.6 billion U.S. to improve Canada's health care system. Conservative leader Stephen Harper said Martin "cannot be trusted" to deal with the issue.

Polling Data

Would you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose having health care services provided by the private sector, if patients did not have to pay out of their own pockets for these services and the services were covered by tax dollars exactly the same way they are now?

Do you agree or disagree that individual Canadians should be given the right to buy private health care within Canada if they do not receive timely access to services in the public system, even if this might weaken the principle of universal access to health care for all Canadians by making it possible for some people to have quicker access to services?

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