Memorandum
To: Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
Through:  ES/PHS
Date: May 20 1961
From: Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Health
Director,  Office of International Health
Subject: Courtesy Call by Canadian Minister of Health Monique Begin - Briefing
Date, Time and Place
May 22, 1981
10:15 - 10:45 a.m.
Your Office
Participants
Minister Monique Begin (Beige An)
Department of National Health and Welfare
Minister's Party (Tab A)
Mrs. Marlyn Kefauver
Director, Office for the Americas
Office of International Health/OASH
Background
At Canadian request, Secretary Schweiker will meet with Minister of Health and Welfare Monique Begin. The Minister's main interests on this trip are oriented to social security issues. However, the Secretary's office has asked you to meet with Minister Begin for about 30 minutes.
Discussion
It is expected that Minister Begin will not be prepared to discuss specific activities and relationships between her Department and the Public Health Service during this visit. Except for one press person, all of those accompanying her are from the social security side of her Department. Therefore, the talking points suggested below are of a general policy nature. However, Tab B contains summaries of PHS activities with Canada, for your information and reference. All such activities are of a grants and contracts or of a regulatory or informal cooperation nature. We have no official general agreement for cooperation in health with Canada. Tab C is a brief summary of basic data on Canada and the organization of its health care system.
Talking Points
1. Describe the current Administration's policies in health, highlighting:
a. areas of special emphasis
b. changes in Federal-State responsibilities
c. changes in funding mechanisms
2. A major emphasis in Canada has been on prevention and encouraging "lifestyles" more conducive to good health. You may wish to ask Minister Begin to describe the major components of this program and her evaluation of the program's success to date. The CDC summary (Tab B) of its Health Risk Appraisal cooperation with Canada is particularly relevant to this area.
3. A common link in the international health area is the goal of "Health for All by the Year 2000". You may wish to engage the Minister in a discussion on individual national strategies to achieve this goal within the context of this Administration's policies, i.e.:
a. greater State control of health service delivery programs and programs for the underserved;
b. protection through private health insurance coverage rather than national health insurance; and
c. increased competition as a method of controlling health costs and improving distribution of services, rather than through regulation.
You should be aware that former Secretary Califano made an official visit to Canada in September 1977, specifically to discuss the Canadian system as it related to the interest during his tenure in a national health insurance program for the United States. Marc Lalonde was the Canadian Minister at that time.
for Linda A. Vogel
John H. Bryant, M.D.
Attachments:
Tab A Minister's Party
Minister's Biographical Data
Tab B Activities Summaries
Tab C Canadian Health System Summary
Prepared by: OIH:Mkefauver, 443-4560
Contact: John H. Bryant, M.D., Director, OIH, 443-1774