CORRESPON DENCE

obvious that nearly all the figures the health care plans of Canadian reported by Dr. Genest are different provinces. A full definition of the To the editor: With reference to the from those presented here. There is various cost components can be article by Dr. Jacques Genest entitled a significant difference in the per- found in the preliminary publication "Health care and research in Can- centage of the GNP devoted to health by Health and Welfare Canada.1 STAVROS CONSTANTINOU, MA ada, 1978. Part II" (Can Med Assoc care for Canada as a whole, as well Senior economist J 119: 614, 1978), I bring to the as in the percentage of the GPP deStatistics systems and economic research voted to health care in Ontario. It is Canadian Medical Association attention of the Journal some figures recently released by Health and Wel- likely that some of these differences References fare Canada1'2 and Statistics Can- can be explained by the ongoing re1. National Health Expenditures in Canada.3'4 These figures raise a number vision of our health care costs by ada 1960-1975, preliminary version, Health and Welfare Canada and by of questions about the validity of Dr. Health and Welfare Canada, Ottawa, the yearly revisions of the GNP by Genest's Table I, which shows the Aug 1978 2. Estimated National Health Expendipercentage of the gross national prod- Statistics Canada. tures by Province for 1976, health Another likely explanation of the uct (GNP) or the gross provincial economics and statistics branch, discrepancies is that Dr. Genest is product (GPP) spent on health care Health and Welfare Canada, Ottawa, using a definition of health care servAug 23, 1978 services. Statistical Review, cat no The information I present here ices or costs that excludes some im- 3. Canadian 1 1-003E, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, portant components of our total na(Table I) shows how health care costs Aug 1978 evolved in relation to the GNP and tional and provincial spending on 4. Provincial Economic Accounts, Experitnental Data 1971-1976, cat no the GPP from 1969 to 1976. It is health care. It may be that he has 13-2 13, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, included only the figures for governMay 1978 ment expenditure on health care. It Contributions to the Correspondence is unfortunate that he has not clar- To the editor: I was sure that my section are welcomed and if considered suitable will be published as space permits. ified this. The health care costs I severe criticisms would provoke a They should be typewritten double-spaced have reported refer to total health reaction from some economists, who, and, except for case reports, should be care costs, not just those covered by by imposing the concept of costno longer than 1½ manuscript pages.

Health care and research in Canada

Table I-Gross national product (GNP) and gross provincial product (GPP), total health care costs and .rcentage of GNP or GPP devoted to health care in Canada, Ontario and Quebec,1969to 1976 Canada Ontario Quebec Total %ofGNP Total %ofGPP Total %ofGPP health care costs GNP devoted to health care costs GPP' devQted to health care costs GPP devoted to Year ($ million') ($ million)2 health care (S million)' ($ million)4 beafthcars ($ millIon)' ($ million)4 health care 1969 5392 79*15 6.8 At .4O66 N/A lWJ. 20677 N/A .1970 6081 85185 7.1 NI 362R 8.6 1971 6948 94400 7.4 2573 39911 6A 1972 7566 .052*4 7.2 3024 41* 6.7 1973 8456 1.3i51l0 6.8 3319 51 .* 6.4 1974 99lZ 1*7921 6.7 .3#1S ..41 1975 11746 0 7.1 4548 67001 6.8 1976't 13g3 41. 7.1 UGO 79611 6.8 *N/A = notawIicabto. tEsilmated health care costs for 197L 262 CMA JOURNAL/FEBRUARY 3, 1979/VOL. 120

Health care and research in Canada.

CORRESPON DENCE obvious that nearly all the figures the health care plans of Canadian reported by Dr. Genest are different provinces. A full definiti...
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