New!!!
The Consumers' Association of Canada (Alberta) report by Wendy Armstrong
"The Consumer Experience with Cataract Surgery and Private Clinics in Alberta
- Canada's Canary in the Mine Shaft" can now be purchased for
$15 dollars @
" The problems which have arisen due to the rapid growth of private eye surgery clinics in Alberta need to be carefully considered before the provincial government or any Regional Health Authorities expand into contracting out major surgeries such as hip replacements", said Larry Phillips, President of the non-profit provincial consumer group.
The Report describes how the Alberta model of cataract delivery emerged, and how it has evolved into a well entrenched two-tiered model of publicly insured care. It also describes the changing character of "private" health care in Alberta and how taxpayer dollars are increasingly used to subsidize commercial activities and new investor-driven health care corporations - to the detriment of the public and the public plan. Contrary to commonly held beliefs and claims made by suppliers, the evidence in the report reveals that the growth of private cataract surgery clinics in Alberta has:
"Remarkably, instead of being the solution to rising costs, longer waits and less than ideal patient care, increased reliance on private business and the introduction of new sources of private payment for suppliers has been the cause of many of these problems", said Wendy Armstrong, the author of the report. While a limited number of small private initiatives may provide a safety valve and source of innovation, the more public plans rely on facilities and agencies owned and controlled by private business interests, and the more costs are shifted outside the plan, the greater these problems will become. Some highlights from the report include.increased public waiting lists (the same physician services both lines) increased the cost of services to the plan, the price to patients and the cost of health plan coverage to the community at large created a number of conflicts-of -interest which jeopardize taxpayers and patients. decreased public accountability, public scrutiny, and public control of the Alberta provincial health care plan.
For media comment, contact Wendy Armstrong
@ 426-3270 or 454-9450
Copies are available for $15 dollars
for individuals & $25 dollars for organizations
from CAC Alberta, Box 11171, Edmonton,
T5J 3K4 (tel: 426-3270)
Many health care costs have simply been shifted to patients and employer benefit plans over the past 15-20 years. These expenses need to be identified and shifted back into the provincial health plan in a fair and equitable way to maximize price controls and timely access. This is how Canadian Medicare was created. It is a success story which can be built upon.
Begin a deliberate effort to bring the ownership and control of community based facilities and agencies providing insured services into the hands of a controlled number of community-driven, not-for-profit facilities and agencies run by voluntary service organizations or local public boards. Limit and regulate all types of existing private clinics - including MRIs and rehabilitation facilities. Apply the Principles of the Canada Health Act to the full range of services moved from acute care hospitals to other settings in order to maximize flexibility, choice and value for money.
Remove opportunities for conflicts-of-interests for physicians who have opted into the provincial plan. (e.g. Physicians who have agreed to provide medically necessary services to the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan at a set price for each service should not be able to take advantage of the plan or plan members by charging additional or higher fees for unnecessary services or faster care in private facilities in which they have financial interests.) Alberta Health has to negotiate on behalf of plan members to ensure the same high quality care without additional charges regardless of the location of care.
End the use of practices which have been fueling the rapid growth of commercial interests in health care driving up the cost to the community. Examples include: a) delisting services, quality or timeliness from the provincial health plan b) providing commercial interests with generous access to public money and captive public patients, and c) introducing higher paying new direct purchasers of medical services such as workers’ compensation boards and private insurers.