When asked to describe what makes Canada unique compared to other countries, many foreigners might shout "Hockey!" “Cold weather!” ” or “Free health care!” ". Health care is certainly one of Canada's most notable trademarks compared to the United States, but the reality is that our health services are not what they are cracked up to be. Canadians tend to take pride in the fact that they have a government-funded health care system, but the system is failing at a rapid rate. The quality of health care in our country can be assessed in the emergency room of any hospital, where most Canadians realize the disadvantages. The government spends most of its budget on health care, but Canadians see no improvement. Emergency room wait times are only increasing and can be life-threatening. This is why many Canadians cross the border to find better and faster service, even if payment is required. Canada's single-tier health care system is slowly becoming our bane and is not keeping up with the modernization of health services. A well-thought-out and planned two-tier health care system would solve many of the growing problems associated with one of the government's major spending interests. Allowing Canadians to choose between government-paid, regulated and controlled health care, or government-funded health care would benefit consumers and reduce budgetary expenditures. The three areas that will be discussed in relation to the health care issue are: the actual state of health care in Canada, a suggested shift toward privatization of health care, and a closer look at the possible pros and cons of a two-speed system. .Our health care system receives a lot of government funding...... middle of paper ...... it's hard to say whether this type of system would work or not.Works CitedBrett, Allan S. " Health Care two-tier health.” Archives of Internal Medicine March 12, 2007: 430+. EBSCO Academic Research Internet. Robert G. Evans, et al. Health Affairs in the United States 21.3 (2002): 19-31. EBSCO Academic Research. March 27, 2011. “THE WORST INDUSTRY IN CANADA: Canadian Business.” (2010): 39-42. EBSCO Academic Research. Internet March 27, 2011. Brown, Barry. “Canadian Provinces Move toward Health Care Privatization.” Search Premier. EBSCO Internet. March 27, 2011. MacQueen, Ken. “Our Health Care Illusion.” Premier Academic Research. EBSCO. Internet. March 27. 2011.