Edm Journal covers the third way, almost.

cyberclark

Electoral Member
The Edmonton Journal has given an even handed overview of the privatization of our health care Taking the pulse of the third way, a good read And, in their considerations they are correct.

What is missing is the "why" and the statement “Universal coverage is gone!”

It is the Conservative way to turn every aspect of our lives over to private industry. This is what they said they will do; this is what they will do! To their credit they have never pretended different. Their abhorrence of the Canadian “welfare” state has never been hidden. This would be the why of it and the costs in the analysis are not even a consideration, more like a poorly structured red herring. No effort has been made to inject reason into the costs.

Science and technology has made some wonderful break troughs which we all applauded.

Mapping the genome combined with DNA tests that are now inexpensive and can be completed in days or hours, perhaps less time.

Knowledge of the intricate way the genome works. From Mother to son, from father to son and so on. Look at the spread of red hair. It has been 500 years since the first red hair showed up in the gene!

“What are the odds?” Becomes a real question solved in real time on so many things we would not have thought of just 10 years ago!

Canadian Insurance companies are already restricting coverage for individuals and communities based on the frequency of incident for a given population. Considering a profit motive their decisions are correct.

Recently on CBC there was a celebration of a young boy receiving a heart repair that was the same one his father had 15 years ago and was not available for his Grandfather a short period of time before that. The health care system has been taking care of ailments caused by genetic errors for a long time. Each time there is a fix, a budget should be set aside for the next generation so they have money to pay for the fix.

I would guess that when this kid grows up he and his family are going to have to give up all of their chattels; their worldly belongings so they can get that next generation a chance for a repair.

The bottom line; ailments can be accurately projected in a family line and the treatment of those ailments will not be covered by the public health system. I can see a mastectomy costing you your house cars; everything! It was charted in your family history you can’t get insurance coverage and universality is a dream gone.

Computers have also made great strides in speed and costs have fallen. Weeee! Look at us go!

Now, computers are used extensively in data mining. This isn’t just the “cookies” and “add ware” left on your computer. It is very real in Insurance, Marketing and Government for making plans; deciding what to cover and what not to. Where to make electoral boundaries.

It works like this:
Go over the health care records for a province and make a record of the number of asthma cases; heart attacks; bicycle accidents etc. To this add the time of day it happened. Make a geo political map and overlay the incidents onto the map. Notice now they up next to Refineries or incinerators and what not. Then decide what you are going to cover, where and to what extent.

Being the conservative way, they get a super deal by having the insurance industry collect he data, actually pay them to do it. At the end of the day there is lots of information in the hands of the insurance companies that allow them not to include certain coverage in defined areas. If you happen to be one of those luckless people who get tagged by both the genome search and the data mining; Well!
 

cyberclark

Electoral Member
Iris Evans response to Health Care Challange - (Under Study)

Mr. John Clark

Dear Mr. Clark:

Thank you for your March 5, 2006 e-mail and letter. I appreciate the opportunity to provide you with information regarding the health care portion of your letter.

Our government is committed to ensuring a strong public health system while responding to the ever-changing needs of our citizens. We recognize the importance of sustainable, flexible and accessible health services for Albertans – regardless of their age, location or ability to pay.

Like you, I want a strong public health care system that will be there for my children and grandchildren in the years ahead. However, this may not be the reality if health care expenditures continue increasing as they are now. This is not a problem unique to Alberta. All provincial, territorial and federal governments have agreed the current health system is not financially sustainable into the future at the present rates of growth in annual cost.



In 2001, the report of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Health (known as the Mazankowski Report) said “that without fundamental changes in how we pay for health services, the current health system is not sustainable.” That was five years ago, but nothing has changed. Each year we spend more and more money on health care. In fact, Alberta’s health funding has more than doubled in the last 10 years. This year it is at $9 billion, which equates to $1 million every hour.

Despite these significant funding increases, the system still faces many challenges. People wait for months and even years for certain procedures. Demand for new services is increasing, and the costs of technology and pharmaceuticals keep growing. Across the country, provinces are realizing that there must be a better way.

The Third Way to health care renewal in Alberta was first discussed by Premier Klein over a year ago. We want to find a balance that is good for Alberta. This means keeping an open mind about good ideas and providing options to people with the health services that best address their needs, circumstances and preferences.

Our health care renewal proposals include a range of ideas to improve the public health care system – to make it stronger and better than it is today. This is something that everyone can agree needs to take place. The first phase of these ideas was introduced last July and includes everything from controlling spiraling drug costs and expanding primary care to encouraging wellness and making children’s health a top priority.

Over the coming months, we will continue to introduce options that will strengthen our health care system. Our actions will continue to be based on the fundamental commitment that a person's ability to pay will never determine access to needed health care services in Alberta.

To address Albertans’ desire for increased health care options, innovation may include looking at the role private health care service delivery can play. A strong public health care system will continue taking care of a patient’s needs. But allowing more options will help take care of a patient’s individual desires. I am confident the public system will be strengthened by allowing patients more choice.

Please note that private involvement in our public health care system is not new. Across Canada, a great deal of health care is delivered by the private sector. In Alberta, continuing care, laser eye surgery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) are examples of health services that are currently available privately.

Another innovation is the possibility of how expanded private health insurance might play a role in Alberta. Private insurance in Alberta isn’t new. It already exists to some degree in Alberta Blue Cross, in insurance plans provided through employers and in insurance plans you can purchase privately.

The government realizes that in order to improve Albertans’ access to health care services and to sustain our current level of service, we need an increased supply of highly skilled and well-qualified health care providers. That is why one of the Third Way action areas is to ensure this supply. We are working with regional health authorities, professional and provider organizations, labour groups, training centres and community members to attract and retain the health professionals needed to provide high-quality care to Albertans.

Health care renewal proposals are focused on putting patients at the center of the health system. With health professionals working together more efficiently to decide what treatment would be best, patients will receive the highest-quality care. Health regions will collaborate more and compete less, which means less red tape in accessing the health services Albertans need.

Government is currently consulting with Albertans on the ideas and issues laid out in the Health Policy Framework. Please visit www.yourhealth.gov.ab.ca or call 310-4455

toll-free for more information and to provide feedback on our proposals. Copies of the Health Policy Framework are also being made available at public libraries and MLA constituency offices.

These consultations will provide information that will help us develop the legislation and associated regulations to be introduced over the coming months. A new legislative framework will enable us to move forward with initiatives that better reflect the current realities of health care delivery and emerging health technologies, while assuring Albertans they will continue to have a strong public health care system.

Our goal is to improve the health system while addressing the concerns many Albertans express with access and choice. Our health care system is complex. One single idea isn’t going to be the answer; only a combination of new ideas will help us find the right balance for Alberta.

Let me once again assure you that a person's ability to pay will never determine access to the health care services he or she needs in Alberta.

Thank you for writing.

Sincerely yours,
Iris Evans

Minister, Health and Wellness