Is there a place for private companies in Canadian health care?

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With a family doctor shortage across the country, doctors and advocates fear if systemic issues aren’t resolved, private care will keep pulling physicians out of the public system and widen the chasms in care.

. He tried his mother’s doctor, getting a brief appointment before he was referred to a neurologist and gastroenterologist, waiting months to see each. In the end, they told March that he likely had irritable bowel syndrome and gave him medication for his symptoms.just shrugged their shoulders and said, ‘It sounds like you have IBS and migraines’ and kind of left it there,” March said.

Though it’s not yet known if LifePlus violates any laws, the private-care option signals to doctors and advocates a growing problem in Canadian health care. Residents don’t see the current system as meeting their needs, with only 25 per cent of Canadians who believe their province is managing health well, according to Angus Reid data released Wednesday. That’s the lowest it’s been in eight years of tracking by the institute.

The program has existed since about 2005 through Copeman Healthcare and was bought by Medisys Health Group in 2014, which Telus Health acquired in 2018. The program focuses on “early intervention in health promotion,” says Sonya Lockyer, vice-president of Telus Health Care Centres, in a phone interview with multiple Telus representatives.

“The Medical Services Commission is an independent statutory body and does not routinely disclose such information about reviews. It would be inappropriate to comment on matters currently under review,” the ministry said. The family doctor shortages are driven partly by medical student debts, which the family medicine practice cannot fully sustain, says Dr. David May, president of the B.C. College of Family Physicians.

Even though Telus Health describes LifePlus as a preventative-care service that isn’t duplicating services covered by public funds, Raza says the solution is to publicly cover services such as dental, physiotherapy and psychology instead of leaving them to the private sector.

 

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BC govt has not paid for family medicine costs in the past 20 years & there is no intent of paying now either. Re-introducing user fees would give immediate access to family docs. Govt needs to pay 100% costs for low income people. Hybrid systems like in Australia work well.

UK has a private option and are also equally fucked… private care isn’t going to help us.

Bruh this article is pure trash. Neoliberal cuts to public services is what creates the space and conditions for the privatization of healthcare. Fuckyou

Did Nathan get better as a result of this option? If it works maybe the BC government should think about supporting/expanding it if their publicly administered system is failing.

AmitAryaMD Canada Needs Tax exemption for every child Lower income taxes Equal shared parenting Cap on MP, MPP salary Cap on govt employee salary Crackdown on healthcare corruption Crackdown on sales tax evasion Replace benefits with tax exemptions Crackdown on real estate corruption

Profit is the problem, not the cure. canpoli Canada

No! Faithful adherence to Stalinist healthcare system must be maintained at all costs to human health and the economy. 'Best healthcare system in the world'™

The answer continues to be Fuck No

That’s a resounding NO!!!!! Fix the system where it needs fixing. NoPrivatizationofHealthCare

Seriously? Privatization=only people with more money 'deserves' services/attention. Look just because Conservative owners of the Star want to push this idea doesn't mean the Star should.

Why ask? the taxpayers voted FordNation for a second term. They want private healthcare. the ones that don't agree will be moving to other provinces.

Its almost like communism doesnt work. Giving free health care to every human being on earth who has the legs to walk into our country has consequences.

In Quebec - the province with a “distinct society”, my 80 year old Mom has had to pay out of pocket for all her medical needs since her GP retired BEFORE the pandemic Her last check up? $300 - not everyone can afford it

Truth: innovation is stifled from within health systems and by career bureaucrats. Why do we have ballooning administrative costs in the information age? What could machine intelligence & blockchain do for healthcare in Canada re. supply chains & staffing?

The quality of care one receives shouldn’t be dependent on the amount of money one has.

no.

No! Did fordnation get you to write this? Canada is supposed to be better than this. We shouldn’t be looking down south for any solutions to this. Ontario gov is starving health care, and elder care, and odsp, and education …this is fixable but he doesn’t want to pay for it.

The Liberals plan to bring in 63 million immigrants by 2100. It's called the Century Initiative CI2100. That should help, right? Riiiiiiiiiight.

No! Absolutely not. There is a place for corporate contributions to the healthcare system. Too many of them rely on paying low wages with no benefits and let the taxpayers pick up the tab while major shareholders reap millions. Enough! Let the wealthy pay their fair share.

Our healthcare system is barely even public, I always find myself paying out of pocket for shit.

Our health system is screwed up but why look to the US broken system for answers instead of to the European countries where it’s thriving.

No!!!

No there fucking isn't

No there isn't and I'll thank you to keep that American style nonsense out of Canada.

No

Twelve years ago, Nathan March dropped his plans to become a student pilot due to migraines and stomach pain. Because his symptoms persisted, he kept researching and trying different doctors and even naturopaths, with little luck.

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