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Private Health Insurance

In 2005, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the ban on private health insurance in Québec is in contravention of the Québec Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The application of this ruling in Québec, and potentially beyond, necessitates that governments must examine the issue of private health insurance.

The Chaoulli decision has important implications for federal and provincial governments with respect to an individual’s right to access private insurance within our health care system.

This decision provides the impetus for governments to undertake a thorough, impartial, expert-driven analysis of the options for addressing the Chaoulli decision. We believe that a broad coalition of governments should conduct an independent, non-partisan study of these alternatives: Canadians are owed a full examination of the options.

Canada’s actuaries are uniquely qualified to provide governments with the tools they need to make financial and policy decisions across an array of major programs, including health care. This is evidenced by the role played by the chief actuaries for the Canada Pension Plan and the Employment Insurance Program, and by an initiative already completed by the Government of Alberta to examine options for health care insurance. Actuaries have also long brought their health care expertise to clients in private industry.