universal means universal

I found the last sentence of the article most shocking “If universal health insurance is a core Canadian value, we need to ensure that it is, indeed, universal.” Throughout the whole semester we have been Canada as an example of universal health care; I am surprised that it is not. Immigrants and refugees are a vulnerable population; they should not be punished for residing in a new country. I do agree there should be a probation period where they have to wait until they become a legal resident, but not months or years to find that they are denied health care. Barriers, such as identifying documents or income should not be a reason to turn them away. This only complicates their lives, especially health, of new-comers. Ignoring their need for health care only makes them and their future generations sicker- by not receiving prenatal health care and care for their children. This also affects the country indirectly because they are now living on their land; even if the country may not like it, the immigrants and refugees are now one of them. Canadian government can help reduce this disparity by granting immigrants and refugees some type of coverage, subsidized coverage for those who can’t afford health care, faster administration periods to speed up the waiting periods, and provide emergency care for them. In the end, immigrants and refugees are still human, and like all humans, they deserve health care.