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This week the Government of Nova Scotia released proposed changes to the Health Services and Insurance Act that will make health care in Nova Scotia more equitable and accessible. The proposed changes will:
– support collaborative models of care — or team-based care, meaning physicians will work in teams with other health-care providers. Studies have shown this to be the most effective and efficient use of our health-care practitioners. It will also result in better access for patients.
– prevent queue jumping
– support alternative funding arrangements for health-care providers (this could allow the government to salary doctors instead of the current fee-for-service model which rewards doctors for spending less time with their patients).
– eliminate extra billing and user fees
– limit direct billing (meaning that if a service is covered by the province, a health professional cannot charge a patient upfront and ask the patient to be reimbursed by the province — as is the case in some provinces)
– eliminate reimbursements for services provided outside the MSI plan (private practitioners who have opted out of the provincial insurance plan will not be paid by the province for services. Nova Scotians will be covered by the province when they have services provided by a public service provided).
– enshrine the principles of the Canada Health Act into provincial law
We applaud the government of Nova Scotia for taking such progressive measures and we encourage Nova Scotians to take part in the consultation happening this summer. For more details on the consultation or the proposed changes, please visit the Nova Scotia government website for health and wellness.
Congratulations to our Nova Scotia allies — the Nova Scotia Citizen’s Health Care Network (NSCHCN), to the labour unions, community groups — like our Nova Scotia chapters of the Council of Canadians — and to everyone that submitted reports and participated in making this progressive change! Let’s push to see other provincial, territorial and the federal governments commit to the principles of the Canada Health Act and to improving and strengthening health care for everyone in Canada!
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Nick Seebruch, editor
