During the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, his platform pushed for the creation of a health care system that would provide affordable health insurance options to all Americans. While U.S. Congress voted for the legislation, the media began to speculate that the Affordable Care Act would be similar to the contemporary health system in Canada ratified under in the Canada Health Act of 1985. The Canada Health Act (1985) instated the universal public healthcare system, which guarantees access for all Canadian citizens.
Recently, many Quebecers have demanded federal government intervention in the healthcare system due to possible introduction of extra-fee charges. Some Quebecers believe that if the provincial government is able to legislate one change against the Canada Health Act, it would allow the province to push away from the universal healthcare system and rights granted by the federal government. This thesis will look at the historical events and relationships between Quebec and the federal government. In addition, this thesis will analyze the various motivations that groups hold and may lead the Quebec province to break away from the mandated federal universal healthcare system.