[[Canada]] has a "single payer plan." Although doctors work independently and control the treatment that their patients receive, all payments for health care services go through the government. The government operates like an insurance company and collects premiums from all citizens (as a special health care tax). Because the government dictates what it will pay for a particular service, overall health care costs do not grow unexpectedly. However, the government is slow to adopt experimental health procedures, and there may be long waits for certain specialized services. Advocates of the Canadian system claim that Canada spends less on administrative and overhead costs than does the United States health insurance system. Advocates of the Canadian system emphasize that it never second-guesses a doctor's determination that something is medically necessary. In contrast, many U.S, insurance companies refuse to pay for tests and services that were ordered by a doctor because the insurance company believes they were unnecessary.
In Canada, health care is the responsibility of each provincial government. (However, the federal government is responsible for services provided to aboriginal peoples covered by treaties, the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]], the armed forces, and members of parliament.) This insurance is tax-funded out of general government revenues, although [[British Columbia ]] and [[Ontario ]] levy a mandatory premium with flat rates for individuals and families to generate additional revenues – in essence a surtax(not an income tax). Private health insurance is allowed, but in six provincials only for services that the public health plans do not cover, for example, semi-private or private rooms in hospitals and [[prescription drug ]] plans. All Canadians are free to use private insurance for elective medical services such as laser vision correction surgery, [[cosmetic surgery]], and other non-basic medical procedures.
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