Medicare's Birth in Saskatchewan: 50th anniversary of a people's victory

Medicare was born in Saskatchewan on July 1, 1962. It would be the first publicly-funded, universal, comprehensive single-payer medical insurance plan in North America. It was a difficult birth. The North American medical establishment and the entire insurance industry were determined to stop Medicare in its tracks. They feared it would become popular and spread, and they were right. Within 10 years all of Canada was covered by a medical insurance system based on the Saskatchewan plan, and no serious politician would openly oppose it. This pamphlet summarizes the background and lessons of Saskatchewan's bitter struggle to implement medicare in the province.