Lack of Equitable Universal Healthcare Coverage for Federally Incarcerated Individuals in Canada

• In Event: Long Term Effects of Criminal Legal System Contact

Abstract

This presentation will address the ethical implications associated with the exclusion of federally incarcerated individuals from the Canada Health Act. The Act is Canada’s federal legislation surrounding publicly funded health insurance and outlines key aspects of health insurance for the Canadian population. The Act defines an insured person as a resident of a Canadian province; however, there are select exclusions to this definition, including persons serving a term of imprisonment in a federal penitentiary. The provision of health services for individuals who are federally incarcerated in Canada is the responsibility of Correctional Service Canada (CSC), a federal governmental agency. It is this same agency that is also responsible for administering sentences to individuals serving sentences of two years or more within the federal penitentiaries. While this exclusion of insured persons from the Act is not intended to serve as a mechanism for division in access to quality health services among those who are federally incarcerated and the general Canadian population, there are inherent moral and ethical implications associated with this distinction in healthcare coverage. This research will utilize a health justice framework to evaluate and adequately address these inherent moral and ethical implications.

Author

• Megan Bailey, Carleton University