Friday, April 11, 2008

BC wants medicare system to be sustainable.

The full article is at the CanadianPress. As the NDP critic notes this is in effect code for cost-shifting from the province to the individual. Under the Canada Health Act user fees are banned but the article is right they can be introduced as various other fees associated with examinations etc. in private clinics.
"The opposition health critic, New Democrat MLA Adrian Dix, wasn't buying the explanation; he insisted sustainability was merely a code word.

"What it means when the government uses it is more user fees ... (and) limiting the scope of public health care," Dix warned.
It is hard to see how the addition could be about "prevention".

"This was an idea the premier came up with," said Dix, who accused the governing Liberals of trying to undermine the system by saying it's not sustainable.

He said it's evident the government doesn't want to fully fund health care and this legislation will just offload costs onto the backs of patients.

Abbott has said adding the sustainability principle to the medicare legislation is about prevention and isn't an attempt by the B.C. government to get around the Canada Health Act or a way to increase private care in British Columbia. "

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