Physician fraud and abuse in Canada: A preliminary examination

[Extract] Providing universal and relatively inexpensive medical care to all Canadians is an enormous financial undertaking. For example in 1983-84, the federal government spent $9,354 million on programmes to prevent, diagnose and cure illness and disease and that figure is likely to grow considerably in future years. Despite this economic burden, Canada has had a relatively long history of legislative commitment to universal, publicly financed health insurance, the framework of which was established by the Federal Hospital Insurance and Diagnostic Act enacted in 1957 and the Federal Medical Care Act legislated in 1966 (ministry of National Health and Welfare, 1983).