While legislators battle to implement incremental changes in the current health care system, nearly 41 million Americans remain uninsured; health care costs continue to skyrocket; and many senior citizens on Medicare cannot afford the medications they need. The United States is now at a crossroads as it seeks ways in which to make adequate health care available to all. In this process, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the experience of our northern neighbor. Canada's universal, single-payer system may provide some of the answers to America's greatest health care challenges.