Two issues in the debate about the relative economic success of Canada's health care system require clarification. First, while the upward trends in the share of health expenditures in GNP and in real per capita health expenditures have been similar in Canada and the United States for the last 30 years, only the latter has increased at a significantly lower rate since the early 1970s. Second, the trends in health expenditures are similar in Canada and the United States. The author therefore speculates that an explanation for the similarity in health expenditure trends may transcend international borders.
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