Women's Health in a Changing Society: Changing Women's Health

Abstract

Women's health and health care for women have been undergoing significant changes in Canada in recent years. In part, change has occurred as a result of health care restructuring (or health reform), brought on by reduced funding by the federal government. Whereas in 1971 (when Canadian Medicare was established), the federal government contributed 50% of the costs of all insured services, today its contribution is a mere 15% and declining. Demands for greater economic efficiencies in the health sector, coupled with concerns about the ageing of the population have also led many provincial governments to restructure health services. There has been a growing shift toward community-based health care, as well as changes to how health care in institutions is delivered. In all of this restructuring, relatively little attention has been focused on the impact of these changes on women.