<P> A 2009 Harris - Decima poll found 82% of Canadians preferred their healthcare system to the one in the United States . </P> <P> A 2003 Gallup poll found 25% of Americans are either "very" or "somewhat" satisfied with "the availability of affordable healthcare in the nation", versus 50% of those in the UK and 57% of Canadians . Those "very dissatisfied" made up 44% of Americans, 25% of respondents of Britons, and 17% of Canadians . Regarding quality, 48% of Americans, 52% of Canadians, and 42% of Britons say they are satisfied . </P> <P> Canada has a publicly funded medicare system, with most services provided by the private sector . Each province may opt out, though none currently does . Canada's system is known as a single payer system, where basic services are provided by private doctors (since 2002 they have been allowed to incorporate), with the entire fee paid for by the government at the same rate . Most government funding (94%) comes from the provincial level . Most family doctors receive a fee per visit . These rates are negotiated between the provincial governments and the province's medical associations, usually on an annual basis . Pharmaceutical costs are set at a global median by government price controls . </P> <P> Hospital care is delivered by publicly funded hospitals in Canada . Most of the public hospitals, each of which are independent institutions incorporated under provincial Corporations Acts, are required by law to operate within their budget . Amalgamation of hospitals in the 1990s has reduced competition between hospitals . As the cost of patient care has increased, hospitals have been forced to cut costs or reduce services . Applying perspective (pharmacoeconomic) to analyze cost reduction, it has been shown that savings made by individual hospitals result in actual cost increases to the Provinces . </P>

When did canada get single payer health care