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Canadian doctors want competition. Politicians are you listening
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by eastvanray | August 19, 2009 at 02:28 pm
158 views | 4 Recommendations | 3 comments
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85% of Canadian doctors favour competition as a way to improve the quality of Canada's failing healthcare system. What can I say but FINALLY and THANK YOU!
Now we need our politicians to open their eyes to the fact that the system in Canada is broken and needs fixing now. Next they need to open their minds to a possible solution and close their ears to the narrow-minded voices that want to keep the system alive on increasing amounts of tax dollars. The self-interested unions and far-left socialists have been listened to for too long. Their cries that Canada must preserve the current system at all cost, regardless of the volume with which they shout, have to be ignored for once and pragmatism has to rule....or we will go broke providing a declining quality of care the same old way.
After heated debate about the slippery slope of pursuing private health care, Canadian doctors voted Tuesday to push governments to look more closely at allowing competition for public health dollars.
As part of a plan to create a "blueprint" to transform the health-care system, the Canadian Medical Association approved a resolution to implore governments and health authorities to "examine internal market mechanisms, which could include a role for the private sector, in the delivery of publicly funded health care in Canada."
"The vast majority of Canadian doctors believe there is an urgent need to fix Canada's health care system," outgoing association president Robert Ouellet said later at a news conference at the CMA's annual convention.
"The physicians of Canada are serving notice that we are tired of the dogmatic, ineffective and faux public/private debate continually derailing any and all attempts to build a health-care system that serves patients."
Doctors in favour of the resolution said "competition" should be invited into health care. "Competition is not a negative thing," said Dr. Tim Nicholas of Aurora, Ont.
"Competition" is already happening in Ontario, where hospitals are rated based on how their patients fare, he said, adding more competition will help create more access in the system.
Ouellet said "competition" doesn't just mean providers battling for dollars -- it could also mean publishing information such as hospital infection rates so facilities can be compared.
B.C doctor Victor Dirnfeld said delegates shouldn't confuse the idea of competition for public health dollars with the introduction of private care.
"What I see is the fear of the dirty word, 'private,' " he said. "We already have extensive private involvement in the publicly funded system."
While the motion passed by 85 per cent, several doctors warned that competition could jeopardize the quality of care.
Several cited Britain's experience with the introduction of some private health-care providers, which has prompted the British Medical Association to mount a campaign against such competition for public health dollars.
Another doctor argued competition could pit hospitals against each other, eliminating chances for the kind of collaboration that has been shown to improve patient care. Dr. Claudette Chase of Thunder Bay, Ont., said patients are becoming suspicious of doctors and the medical association for considering private care as an option.
"I know from the public they already question our values as we move closer and closer to private care."
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eastvanray
vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
at 18:04 on August 19th, 2009
We certainly need a debate in Canada. Hopefully it will be a civil debate. 40% of Alberta's budget goes into health care. We have hired an Australian to reform our system. The problem with that is that I think the Alberta government is clueless and what works in Australia will not necessarily work in Canada.
The reform of our system will be a long and hard battle with many interest groups. In order to sustain the system we will probably require a mix of public and private delivery. Alberta has, in the past, proposed a single payer system, with private clinics supplementing our public system. This approach will, no doubt, find a lot of opposition.
For the most part, although not perfect, I think Canadians like their health care system. The key is to make it sustainable.
at 08:46 on August 20th, 2009
As an American, I am reluctant to discuss Canadian health care as keeping up with the conversation about our woes is exhausting enough. But I do have one question.
I was told by a Canadian that you have the option to buy supplemental health insurance in addition to the state provided care to facilitate access. If this is true, then you do have some competition already.
at 10:09 on August 20th, 2009
Our problem is not access it is quality. No amount of supplimental coverage will improve the quality of the system that provides the actual service. Only competition between providers will do that.