As the title of one of its contributions declares, health care and wealth care can’t viably co-exist (4). Such resources are a fundamental part of a public health care system, and librarians should be concerned that any serious tampering with that system could eventually lead to their dissolution.įor a compelling alternative to the CMA’s vision for Canada’s health care system, see Mending Medicare, a collection of articles published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Publicly funded and operated services, such as Alberta’s Health Knowledge Network or the UK’s National Library for Health, emphasize access and delivery through policy coordination, shared technology, and improved cooperation. There is even a pull-quote from the Canadian Health Libraries Association on page 79. 76-82), and were clearly reflected in Recommendations 10 and 12. Access to knowledge-based information and promoting health literacy were important issues in the Romanow Report (pp. Many Canadian health librarians care deeply about this country’s successful single-provider system and see their work as an integral part of publicly funded health care delivery. It concluded that Canada’s single-payer system, which relies on not-for-profit delivery, achieves health outcomes that are at least equal to those in the United States at two-thirds the cost (3) - while, it should be added, ensuring that no one is consigned to the special circle of hell reserved for the uninsured. These popular instincts are strongly supported by reams of research, including a recent systematic review comparing health outcomes in Canada and the United States. Michael Rachlis, a well-known critic of privatization, predicted last year (1), the operators of private clinics and their supporters - encouraged by the Supreme Court’s ruling against a Quebec ban on private insurance for Medicare-covered treatments - are aggressively shilling their wares, with the CMA’s explicit support.ĭespite the CMA’s stance on the matter, polls consistently show that a large majority of Canadians endorse the recommendations of Health Commissioner Roy Romanow, whose 2002 Final Report strongly opposed privatization and outlined a system for updating and re-inventing health care (2). "The CMA believes that we must now take that principle forward to meet the needs of a new generation." Association president Colin McMillan said Canadians need timely access to medical services, and the private sector could act as a "safety valve" to ensure wait-time guarantees are met. As reported by the CBC, the CMA wants provincial governments to hire private-sector firms to deliver publicly funded health care services to prevent delays for medically necessary treatment. The Canadian Medical Association unveiled its "new vision" in a policy document released on July 30.
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