Private Health Facilities in Saskatchewan: Marginalization through Legalization

Abstract

This paper explores how the passage of Saskatchewan’s Health Facilities Licensing Act in 1996 created both a legal framework for private health facilities in the province as well as erecting significant barriers to virtually insure that no such facilities could effectively operate. This is done within the context of discovering how placing barriers to privatization has contributed to reform of the health care system and the conditions in which reform will be permitted. Data for the study were collected from a series of eleven key informant interviews including elected officials, civil servants, health care professionals, academics, members of key stakeholder organizations which both supported and opposed the legislation.