WHEREAS Canadians support all components of the Canada Health Act in implementing a quality healthcare system;
WHEREAS de-listing and shifting delivery of healthcare services out of hospitals and from non-profit agencies to for-profit organizations/suppliers have led to downloading of costs to patients, unequal access, and increasing reliance on private for-profit insurers;
WHEREAS studies show that increased reliance on corporate for-profit delivery and for-profit healthcare insurance is more costly, may provide less quality care, and will undermine sustainability, quality and comprehensiveness of our public health system;
WHEREAS privatization results in loss of public transparency and control;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Liberal Party of Canada urge the Government of Canada to:
1. Prohibit or limit direct and indirect public subsidies of private corporate ventures related to healthcare payment and delivery.
2. Implement enhanced universal coverage and publicly controlled non-profit delivery of new substitutes for short and long-term hospital and physician care.
3. Ensure universal coverage of pharmaceutical supplies and ambulance services; expand coverage for medically necessary vision and dental care.
4. Facilitate timely implementation of Romanow recommendations.
5. Increase regulation, oversight and consumer protection related to private for-profit healthcare insurance products.
6. Research and implement social policies on issues that have significant negative impact on health and wellness such as poverty, preventable injury, food insecurity and inadequate access to education and information.
Senior Liberals’ Commission
The lessons of the free market meltdown appear to be lost. I hope that all may see the wisdom in a balanced approach to the provision of services in the marketplace and services in the public sector(i.e. a more equitable split balancing serving the public good with an enhanced regulatory regime while encouraging entreprenuership and innovation in the CANADIAN private sector.
For instance, the costs in health care have an emphasis that is wrongly placed on treating the symptoms vs. preventing the cause of the illness. The question of sustainability of rising health care costs is the wrong argument if you change the paradigm to focus on disease prevention. We are facing a pandemic of cancers and toxic reactions because of our environment, nutrition and life styles. The first step logically is to stop the cause – comprehensive environmental and consumer protections. The statistics on the health effects and lost time due to stress, poor nutrition, food and drink born illnesses reflect the need to institute comprehensive inspections and warning systems for the food chain. Regulation and control, storage, secure transport and disposal of toxic substances should be a priority. I don’t believe any level of governance should sign any trade agreements that don’t provide rigorous consumer and environmental protections.
There is a role for establishing crown corporations based on sound business practices generating monies for government coffers. For instance, there is a role for a National Pharmacology Program as well as private pharmacology for social medicine. By establishing a national public drug program and being wise stewards of our intellectual property rights, we could patent discoveries resulting from publicly funded research and development in health care and market these abroad filling government coffers instead of emptying them.
This is a tough one. Liberals founded the Canada Health act and it has served us well until now. But we can’t deny the incredible costs which continue to mushroom upwards, paid only through huge tax increases or deductions from other programs. The system can survive only through one of two mechanisms – long wait lists, or some type of accountability on the part of both providers and patients. Physicians (and I am one) should be forced to justify the many tests and treatments ordered. And patients should accept that anecdotal stories and ads on tv (usually American tv) do not justify jumping on every bandwagon. Unfortunately having to pay part of the bill would seem to be the only way to accomplish this.
We, as a society need to decide what services are truly essential – and make sure they are fully covered. The rest need to be subject to some cost paid by the patient, and some type of accountability on the part of the physician.
Dr Ray Dawes
I am only familiar with health care in Ontario and I feel that the Ontario Liberals have done a magnificent job of restoring a health care system that was devastated by the Harris Conservatives. I also don’t agree that it isn’t sustainable. The federal government is wasting billions of dollars on ventures many of us feel are detrimental. Let’s elect a federal Liberal government that will stop spending on wars and divert the money into social services. Our health care and pensions do not need to be slashed.
I disagree with the resolution.
I strongly agree with a universal public healthcare plan which is well defined across all jurisdictions.
I strongly disagree that the best method of delivering that national plan is solely through the public sector.
Fully agree with this nresolution. The publicly owned and administered health care was demonstrated as being the most efficient one. As the health care costs will increase due to us – the baby boomers – having a longer staypower, the individual contribution for the program must be increased. The party should clarify this as being the only realistic solution and convince the electorate that there is no other better way to deal with this.
All Canadians have thought about this, and the vast majority have conclude that single payer public health care insurance is the only viable method.
What has concerned many Canadians is the cost. I find this curious because we in fact achieve economic growth through our health care spending. Publicly funded procurement of health care technologies encourages private sector investment in the supply and service of these technologies, and private sector research and development. These technologies have strong export market.
The Liberal Party has an ethical commitment to publicly funded universal health care. Also, the Liberal Party must advocate economic growth through health care spending.
Arguing over the collection of the money, is awaste of time,weather it is the current tax system, special fees, payroll deduction. It is all our money.
Every dollar the government spend is a dollar taken for us. The money has to come from us, I am more concerned with the efficiency of the system, and a system that provide complete care.
I think it is time for both the federal and provincial governments to back of on whose toes are being stepped on and get down to providing the care necessary.
You are correct, there is/will always remain an issue with Provincial Federal Jurasdictions. And, this in one way is one of the crippling issues with the system. As there is no universal levels of coverage. They differe from Province to Province.
So we like to say we have a Universal system, when in fact we do not.
It is one of our big funding principlas to say we have Universal Coverage. And we need to fix it, either through negotiation with the provinces or through a National Referendum to remove the clauses that crept forward from the BNA act.
This should not be about who has the power, it should be about what is right for Canadians. And in this case, will of Canadians is often stepped on by the will of power.
You can not take a Majority parliment in these cases and say it is the will of the people, as often a Majority still equals less then 50% of the populas vote. So a smart party would move this into the hands of the people.
I don’t agree people should pay into the plan as they already do via Direct Taxation, and voluntary taxation through lotteries.
And yes you could get around it by Saying you are not a Canadian. At $50.00-$90 per visit. $100+ for blood tests, $75 for xrays, then about $1500 a day if you are in the hospital.
I bring this as an Example since I am a Canadian Citizen. I was born in Canada, my wife is a US citizen. I had moved to California to Marry my wife work in IT secirity for the county of LA, then moved back a few years later. (Will not even addreses the immigration debacle with my wife, at this time) but, we are into our Third year now waiting on my wifes immigration to complete.
Despite being a Tax paying Canadian, my wife is ineligable for any health care services in Canada. So any time we go to the doctors we pay for her. And it add’s up quick. She does not qualify for Student Health Care insurance or travelers insurance she is in a crack.
But, if I was an Immigrant worker, who had come to Canada on a 6 month work Visa, the minute I put my foot in the country, myself and my family even if they don’t live in Canada or traveled to Canada immedietly become Eligiable for Health Care. If I was a student who traveled to Canada, under the new rules in Manitoba I am now eligable for Health Care coverage, as is my family even if they are not in Canada.
Yet myself who’s wife and children are here in Canada, who’s wife is in the last stages of Immigration. I can not get health coverage for my wife.
We have glaring gaps in our system that need to be addressed, and the main one is the Universal Coverage, which does not exist at this time.
I may be reading some of this wrong, but it appears that some commentators here want the federal government to involve themselves in an area of provincial jurisdiction – the specifics of health care. Increasing involvement in provincial juridictional areas is bound to bring a reaction from provincial governments.
I do agree that people should pay into a government directed health care plan. The present percentage of the federal income tax rate used for health care might be separated from the general tax rate and become the premium for the plan. If health care costs rise, the premiums would have to rise but people would know that the cost of health care would not be a cover for a general evenue tax grab.
I also believe that doctors should be able to opt out of medicare but should not be able to claim against it for their services. If I want private health care I think I can get it by telling the doctor that I am a non-resident, but I would expect to pay the full bill myself.
“WHEREAS de-listing and shifting delivery of healthcare services out of hospitals and from non-profit agencies to for-profit organizations/suppliers have led to downloading of costs to patients, unequal access, and increasing reliance on private for-profit insurers;”
My issue here is Hospitals and Delivery of Health Care is a provincial responsibility.
” Ensure universal coverage ”
Again is an issue since each province deals with Health Care differently has different regulations on who is covered and when (If you are an immigrant or move provinces)
My major concern is the $ value of health care is for Service it is a Service coverage cost. It is not ment for Bricks and Morter.
I agree our Health Care needs to be universal. But we need to addres what blocks this, that being the old BNA act.
There is a wonderful beauty when you mary Government and Corporate need.
My feeling is Hospitals, Medical Clinics, Doctors, Diagnostic services should be Private Industry. Private Industry has a unique ability to maximize its profits.
The issue then is how to help an organization maximize profit while also increasing efficeny of health care.
First you make sure coverage is Universal, so remove the various provincial health care organizations.
Then make sure Hospitals and Doctors are private organizations. They can be Church Run, non profit, or private Corporations.
Then you create a sliding scale of payment for health care.
You can provide a fee for visit, then a fee for care, then a sliding bonus based on treatment success, and a sliding bonus based on speed of care.
So if you properly diagnose an issue, you see the patient quickly, you procide a timely treatment plan, and finally the patient is cured and remains cured for a resonable time. You will then at the end recieve the largest payment avalible.
If you are slow, you do not provide a timely treatment plan, and the patient is not cured in the long run, you get the least amount avalible.
In a non profit or corporate hospital setting? Who will have the most success at remaining a care giver?
We leverage Capitalsim with Government to come to a success.
You then contract out for a Crown Corporation to administer the insurance portions of Health Care, they are rewarded on timely administration of Health Care payments. The process of Management is retendered every 5 years. Much like the US postal system.
The most efficent organization able to run the crown corp to provide timely payment to care providers will continue to float to the top.
The system as far as level of care, and scope of Care remains a public facility. While the care is in the hands of Non Profit, and or Corp organizations.
Health care is much broader than being able to see a Doctor or get treatment in the Hospital, it is about keeping people healthy and active. In order to do the full job it may, in meny instances be more efficient to have and element of private healthcare involved. It is who pays and how it is paid that is the key element here. I don’t think it is desirable to have people needing treatment and in a private clinic and it costing thousands of dollars. I feel people have a responsibility to themselves and to society to share the cost of keeping themselves healthy, just as I feel it is societies responsibility to keep its members healthy.
So who pays? I think people should pay into a government directed health care plan rather than buying suplemental health care for drug, glasses, dental, travel etc.
I pay $1400 a years for drug coverage, for my wife and myself (we are also pretty healthy). I would willingly pay this amount into a government sponsored program that covered all our medical needs. I feel everyone should pay into a government health care plan, based on their income. I don’t feel however that the government should run the program, but should set the guide lines. Then the medical care insurance companies should bid on the right to administer blocks of the program, they will do it more efficientlty than the government. Not just pharmacare but a whole range of medical services.