TAKING MEDICARE TO COURT Peoples Voice Editorial Believe it or not, Canadians may be at risk of losing our universal Medicare system. On September 8, a legal challenge to Medicare opens in a British Columbia courtroom. The outcome could be the nightmare of a two-tier, US‑style health care system. The challenge comes from Canadas leading health privatizer, Dr. Brian Day, owner of Vancouvers for‑profit Cambie Surgery Centre. Launched in 2008, this case targets legislation that limits the for‑profit delivery of medically necessary services, allegedly because these rules violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In reality, Days clinic often charges clients far more than the cost of procedures carried out under Medicare. But the case will almost certainly be appealed up to the Supreme Court of Canada. As the B.C. Health Coalition warns, a victory for Day would open the gates to a US‑style system, where private health insurance through employers costs $16,000 for an average family of four, with a $2,000 deductible. The actual cost to Canadas public Medicare system for such a family is just $8,000, paid through taxes. The administration of our Medicare system takes just 1.3% of health care costs, compared to 31% of health care spending in the U.S. This case is a serious threat to Canadas public health, education and social programs. Carrying out the corporate-driven austerity agenda, governments keep slashing spending, using the create a crisis strategy to attack the entire public sector. Its true that our schools and hospitals are far from perfect, but scrapping universal access to health and education would only help the wealthy elite and the big corporations. We join Health Coalitions across Canada in urging readers to help push back against Brian Day and his fellow privatizers, by demanding that governments put the health of the people ahead of private profits. The above article is from the September 1-15, 2014, issue of Peoples Voice, Canadas leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to Peoples Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 21:09:14 +0000