Health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland but you choose from non-profit providers, which produces competition

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By Yanick Labrie

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Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the Canada Health Act, long considered a pillar of Canadian identity. But today, that symbol is showing signs of strain. Despite record government spending, health-care wait times have reached historic highs — more than 30 weeks on average for planned treatment — and access to care continues to deteriorate. Fewer than one in five Canadians now says the system works well.

While political leaders tinker at the margins, countries such as