With our healthcare system being in a bad state of disarray to the point where people are waiting months for certain procedures and people in some areas are even finding it next to impossible to have their own family doctor, I think something fairly unorhtodox has to be done. I suggest that for each initial visit for an illness (people on social assistance being exempt) that the patient pays a $20 fee up front. What this might do is discourage people with trivial complaints like runny noses and hangnails from running to the doctor and running up costs the rest of us can't afford and adding to line ups in the system delaying sick people getting treatment. It might also stimulate some people to get off their rear end and take care of their own health, like maybe getting a little exercise. What do you think?
I like the idea of user fees for those that can afford it. Not everyone can afford a $20, though. There are seniors in need of care living on OAP and CPP alone. If they're lucky they might get a grand a month. Out of that they probably spend at least $300 on groceries, another few hundred on rent or whatever, and the rest on incidentals. Try living in Vancouver or Toronto on a grand a month when you are old, can't easily get around, and have an ailment or two.
Concerning the rest of us, great idea. We've been bringing the idea of user fees up every time the topic of healthcare comes up. A lot of people would have to get a little more serious about pestering their docs for something if they had to fork over some money and it'd alleviate healthcare costs a little. The money would go directly to the healthcare, too, rather than going through the gov't so it can budget for healthcare. (At least till gov't cuts back more).
