DCHP-2

health card health-card DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — Administration

  an identification card proving eligibility for government-provided health care.

  Type: 5. Frequency — The term health card refers to identification that enables "access to insured health care services" that are provided by government (see Service Canada reference). As seen in Chart 1, the term is most frequently used in Canada. The information found on a health card includes a person's name and personal health identification number, among other details. A health card must be shown at hospitals or clinics to receive medical service (see Citizenship and Immigration Canada reference). Moreover, it is often used as a piece of identification in Canada (see the 1999 quotation).
  Since Canada's health care program is not a federal responsibility but is run separately by provinces and territories under the constraints of the federal Canada Health Act (see the 1982 quotation), the names for health cards vary provincially (see Health Canada reference). As seen in Chart 2, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, for instance, show low frequencies of the term as they have their own designations (see health care card for Alberta, CareCard for British Columbia and Chart 3 for the Quebec and Nunavut term health insurance card).
  See also COD-2, s.v. "health card", which is marked "Cdn".

  See also: health care card  CareCard