Eroding Public Medicare

On the state of the Medicare program (1982)

quote:
There's not any doubt at all that the present Medicare program in Canada is in serious danger of being sabotaged. One danger is extra-billing, which is growing and which has meant only one thing: that we are rapidly developing two types of people in the health care field: those who come under the general program and whose care is paid for out of government funds, and those who pay "a little extra" to doctors who want a little extra.

If that goes on, the percentage they will pay in extra billing will increase from year to year, so people will get to the place where they are saying, "I'm paying almost as much in extra billing as I pay through taxes."

Let's scrap this plan. Otherwise, you're going to have a situation in which some doctors will only want patients who accept extra billing, and they will be the most competent doctors and the most proficient surgeons. Thus, after a while, the people who will not accept (or cannot afford) extra billing will have to go to the less competent doctors and less competent surgeons, and you're right back where we started when we fought for Medicare. The well-to-do who can afford it will have one standard of health care, and those less fortunate will have to accept a lower standard of health care.

Surely we're not going back to a system in which the quality of care patients receive depends upon their financial capacity to pay. Any free country that talks about the democratic process and allows extra billing to become the general rule is denying the basic principles of the democratic process. See:On the State of the Medicare Program

My, things have progressed?

[ 14 October 2008: Message edited by: admin ]

As if Ignatieff and Harper want to protect medicare - who does he think he's kidding.

Harper and Ignatieff flub their medicare moment

Last week, the polling and research firm EKOS published a survey demonstrating what good politics a foray by Ignatieff or Harper into America to defend medicare might be right now.

While Canadians disagree on many things, we're very much united over medicare. EKOS reports that 87 per cent of Canadians believe Canada's health-care system is better than the one in the United States. Only 7 per cent prefer the American model.

"Whatever the pitfalls of Canada's system, it is seen as dramatically better in serving the needs of its overall citizenry," EKOS president Frank Graves says.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little fed up about turning on my television and seeing some guy (or gal) from Kentucky or a right-wing congressman safely protected by his congressional health plan attacking my country on this issue. Call me old-fashioned, but I think - especially in light of what EKOS has discovered - that many Canadians are like me and would enjoy seeing our Prime Minister or Leader of the Official Opposition defending our country in America during this health-care season.

And for the life of me, I simply can't figure out why Harper or Ignatieff won't seize the medicare moment - like Mulroney once did - and defend our nation's most prized social program in America when it is under attack. (And for Harper, who many still believe harbours a hidden agenda that doesn't include a fulsome belief in medicare, to pass this up really makes no sense).

Not only is it the right thing to do - it has the added bonus of being the right political thing to do as well.

Chances like this don't come often in politics and the fact both Harper and Ignatieff are asleep at the switch on this one might help explain why both leaders have job approval ratings, according to the same EKOS poll, between 37 per cent (Harper) and 29 per cent (Ignatieff).

And President Obama - the man trying to reform America's medical system - his job approval rating among Canadians? More than 70 per cent.

There's a lesson here for Harper and Ignatieff.

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/682311