Now that Ottawa has left health care to the provinces, what is the future for Canadian health care in a decentralized federal context? Is the Canada Health Act dead? Health Care Federalism in Canada provides a multi-perspective, interdisciplinary analysis of a critical juncture in Canadian public policy and the contributing factors which have led to this point. Social scientists, legal scholars, health services researchers, and decision-makers examine the shift from a system where Ottawa has played a significant, sometimes controversial role, to one where provinces have more ability to push health care design in new directions. Will this change inspire innovation and collaboration, or inequality and confusion? Providing an up-to-date analysis of health care policy and intergovernmental relations at a crucial time, Health Care Federalism in Canada will be of interest to anyone concerned with the current dynamics and future potential of Canadian health care. Contributors include Greg Marchildon (Canada Research Chair at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy in Saskatchewan), Ken Boessenkool (public affairs strategist and former political advisor to Stephen Harper), Adrian Levy (Professor and Head, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University), Boris Sobolev (Canada Research Chair at the School of Public and Population Health, University of British Columbia), Gail Tomblin Murphy (Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Planning and Research), and David Haardt (Department of Economics, Dalhousie University).

Katherine Fierlbeck is the McCulloch Professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University, with a cross-appointment as professor of Community Health and Epidemiology.

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“Health Care Federalism in Canada is an essential addition to the existing literature and features scholarship of the highest calibre. Fierlbeck’s introductory chapter is excellent and succeeding chapters bring together perspectives from a number of different disciplines – necessary for a topic as complex as the challenges of health care system reform.” Stephen Brooks, Department of Political Science, University of Windsor