No, becoming the 51st state wouldn’t give us better health care—but Trump knows he’s hitting a nerve

The hard workers who keep the health system running have never been more worried about the future of Canadian health care.
Health professionals believe in our public health-care system because they believe in equitable access to care, and you can’t have one without the other, writes Bert Blundon. Unsplash photograph by Christian Bowen
Opinion
BY BERT BLUNDON
February 24, 2025

When United States President Donald Trump suggested that Canadians would have “much better health coverage” as the 51st state, he knew he was picking at an open wound.

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