The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Paying for the health system In the federal election campaign, all major parties tried to outbid each other to pay for the health care system in Canada, although promising and paying are often worlds apart. The Liberals and Conservatives offered billions without a need to raise taxes, while the NDP pledged to "tax the rich" and bring in an inheritance tax and to balance the budget. As the Corner has mentioned before, it is apparent to most Canadians that throwing more and more tax dollars at the system without needed reforms is not working. This is so evident in Manitoba, which will spend $1.2 billion more this year on health care than in 2000, the second highest per capita in the country. At the July premiers meeting, the provincial bosses tried to stick Paul Martin with his election promise to create a national pharmacare program. With nary a blush or a smile they offered to let Paul spend the $9 billion per year needed to pay for the drug plans, which vary considerably from province to province. Manitoba had the best-rated plan in 2003, covering 53 per cent of prescribed drugs, compared to 48 per cent in B.C. and less in the other provinces, but with the deductible raised in the latest budget this will probably change. There is really no universal drug-covering system in any province, although a lot of workers have varying degrees of coverage by their employers. The idea of a national plan is hardly new, as it was recommended to Lester Pearson's government in 1964 by the Hall Royal Commission, but it is all about money. The premiers are suggesting that putting prescription drugs under the Canada Health Act would save one-fifth of the costs. As the Canada Institute for Health Information predicted, by 2007 money spent on legal drugs will be higher than that spent on doctors, so maybe a reform is needed. The same Institute also reported that Manitoba has a per capita cost of $550 for drugs, which is near the country's lowest. Of course the use varies widely, with a heavy cost for seniors and a low/no cost for many young working families, most of whom would never spend the Pharmacare deductible. An Alberta economist claimed that a province's health care costs are related to life expectancy ? the shorter the expectancy, the less healthy the population and the higher the costs. Manitobans rank ninth among the provinces in life expectancy, thus the higher health care costs. Others advance the theory that those with a higher standard of living have lower health care costs, so raise the living standard and save health dollars. With Manitoba's high health-care spending (over a 100 million dollars more each year under the NDP), the province is low in patient satisfaction, has longer waiting times than most provinces and still has a doctor/nurse shortage. There are a number of well-reported horror stories about waits for doctor appointments, surgeries, tests and unfortunate deaths that resulted. A recent Statistics Canada report says Manitobans do have longer waits for service and resent that waiting, which is particularly long for diagnostic tests. Health Minister Chomiak claims that things are better, waiting times are being reduced, and there are more doctors and nurses thanks to higher wages. Time will tell but there is no way Manitoba, with 70 per cent of the population in Winnipeg but with a need to provide good service for the other 30 per cent, can continue to pour $100 million more each year into health care. Some critics claim that the Filmon government's Regional Health Authorities are nothing but massive and costly bureaucracies, spending tax dollars that are needed for primary health care. Now the PC opposition is asking for a review of the system, which should, but probably won't, happen. At least under the present government. Health critic Myrna Dreidger is also critical of the NDP's ideological stand against private health care, with their stated concern that it will lead to a two-tier system, draining funds from the public system. Dreidger claims this rationale by the health minister is hypocritical. She points out that the Worker's Compensation Board last year sent over 300 day-surgery patients to the private Maples Clinic, which was very cost-saving. Meanwhile, the government refuses to use the private clinic for other badly-needed surgeries. Chomiak defends his actions, using the Pan-Am Clinic, now public, as an example of how to operate, conveniently not mentioning the high costs of buying and staffing the former private clinic. See 'Health' P.# Con't from P.# It has been written by many that we already have a two or three-tier health system ? the rich go to the US or elsewhere with no waiting times, and all governments contract with private clinics or send patients out of province for needed care or in emergency cases. What's wrong with this? Many say nothing, that it relieves pressure on the overloaded public system. The Manitoba PC's policy is that as long as the patient pays with his/her health card, a mix of public/private systems is the best way to operate ? and in the best interests of the public. It is also highly likely that Manitoba's "Rainy Day Fund" will not much longer be able to be tapped for government spending. A late July report showed the fund at $118 million, the lowest in 10 years. The last government tap was $127 million, as the NDP government struggled to pay the bills. As expected, finance minister Selinger blames Ottawa for not providing enough money, with none given for fighting forest fires (unlike BC which got lots of federal cash). With revenues millions lower than expected, the minister admitted he needed the fund. Opposition leader Stuart Murray dismisses Selinger's argument, saying the province should live within its own budget, and points out that under Manitoba's balanced budget legislation, the provincial savings account is supposed to be five per cent of expenditures. It is a long way from the sum of $373 million, but in reality the latest NDP budget is not balanced any ways. There will probably be a lot more money woes to come.
