July 2004

NO TO HEALTH PROFITEERS!

HEALTH CARE EMERGED as a key issue in the federal election campaign, especially after Premier Ralph Klein virtually announced that full-scale private health care was on the agenda for Alberta. That blunder was one of those "shoot yourself in the foot" gaffes which haunt the Conservatives during elections.

But the narrow win by Paul Martin should not lull Canadians into thinking Medicare is safe. The fact is that underfunding by the federal Liberals has encouraged provinces across the country have been allowed to move increasingly towards a two-tiered system.

A new study on health care costs should ring more alarm bells. Published last month in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the study finds that Canadian governments would pay an extra $7.2 billion in annual health care costs if Canada switched to investor-owned private for profit hospitals. The research builds on findings released in 2002 by the same McMaster University research group that revealed higher death rates in investor owned private for-profit hospitals and kidney dialysis centres in the United States.

"Our previous study showed the profit motive results in increased death rates, and this one shows it also costs public payers more," said Dr. P.J. Devereaux, lead author of the study. "With for profit care, you end up paying with your money, and your life."

On the campaign trail, many Liberal candidates vowed that their party would block further moves by provinces towards a two-tiered system. But the Liberals may well choose to cooperate with the Conservatives in Parliament on this and other major issues. We must instead demand that Ottawa act now to preserve the principles of the Canada Health Act and to implement the Romanow Commission.

© 2004 Communist Party of Canada