Page "Comparison of the health care systems in Canada and the United States" Paragraph 20

In both Canada and the United States, access to health care can be a problem.

Studies suggest that 40 % of U. S. citizens do not have adequate health insurance, if any at all.

In Canada, however, as many as 5 % of Canadian citizens have not been able to find a regular doctor, with a further 9 % having never looked for one.

Yet, even if some cannot find a family doctor, every Canadian citizen is covered by the national health care system.

The U. S. data is evidenced in a 2007 Consumer Reports study on the U. S. health care system which showed that the underinsured account for 24 % of the U. S. population and live with skeletal health insurance that barely covers their medical needs and leaves them unprepared to pay for major medical expenses.

When added to the population of uninsured ( approximately 16 % of the U. S. population ), a total of 40 % of Americans ages 18 – 64 have inadequate access to health care, according to the Consumer Reports study.

The Canadian data comes from the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey,