In-Hospital Cost of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Canada and the United States

Abstract

CANADA AND the United States have adopted different approaches to funding health care. The Canadian system is a socialized medical system and is budgeted in a top-down fashion regulated by the government. The American health care system consists of a mix of privately and publicly financed health insurance. As technological innovations increase the complexity of medicine and demand greater efficiency in health care, the benefits and drawbacks of the 2 systems have come under close scrutiny.^1-6 Global health care costs in Canada and the United States have been examined on a macroeconomic level. However, to our knowledge, comparative costs of specific procedures in the 2 countries have not been closely studied on a microeconomic level.