Father of medicare - Definition and Overview

Several individuals may be recognized as "father of" the Canadian system of universal public medicare:

• Tommy Douglas pioneered public health insurance as Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and federal leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 1961 to 1971. Douglas is more often remembered as the "father of medicare" than any other individual.
• Emmett Matthew Hall was a jurist and chair of the 1964 royal commission on health care in Canada which recommended the nationwide adoption of Saskatchewan's system of public insurance for both hospitalization and out-of-hospital medical services.
• Paul Martin, Sr., Minister of National Health and Welfare from 1946 to 1957, played a central early role in the adoption of hospital insurance and is also remembered as a father of Medicare.