This is the feature which is seen to distinguish us most from the American model, which is the point of comparison. Many people readily acknowledged that their commitment to egalitarianism is restricted to health care and that they are not troubled by wide discrepancies based on ability to pay or status in other areas of society. They have no trouble isolating health care in this way because they see it as something of a completely different character from housing or automobiles or vacations. It is also clear that many, perhaps most, believe that they, personally, might be worse off should the system evolve into two tiers. One of the ways in which equality in health care is different stems from the fact that being as healthy as possible is seen to be fundamental to the quality of life that is part of being Canadian.
Most people fully accept that different income levels lead to different standards of living.
However, most would not tolerate a situation in which one person does not receive the same treatment for a physical ailment as another on the basis of income. This form of inequality was unacceptable. Equality of access is also seen to be essential to opportunity. Variances in income could be the end result of the market economy, but being physically healthy is seen as a precondition for having a fair chance at success. If there is to be equality of opportunity, then as far as possible everyone should start from a position of good health.