The issue of health care reform has reared its head again — this time the province of Quebec is at the forefront.
It was not that many years ago when Alberta, and former Premier Ralph Klein, were seen as collective villains in the quest to privatize health care.
Back then, Klein was criticized right from the top, as Prime Minister Paul Martin unequivocally stood behind the Canada Health Act, which, as a matter of fact, does not prevent provinces from seeking a private health-care option. It does, however, call for a cut in federal funding should that occur in a particular province.
Alberta was seen as the bad guy back then, as Klein’s Conservatives were always accused of having a hidden agenda to privatize a health-care system Canadians have long sought to keep public.
Now, Quebec and Jean Charest, former leader of the federal Progressive Conservatives and current Quebec Liberal leader and premier, are proposing a $25 user fee for Quebec citzens to pay for each doctor visit.
The fee would be paid at tax time, not at the time of a doctor visit. As a result, Quebec believes the proposal does not contravene the Canada Health Act. Whether it does or does not is not the issue, however.
Some see the fee as a way to open the door to privatized health care in the future, which would include private health insurance and all the potential pitfalls that may include — just ask United States President Barack Obama about that one.
Quebec’s proposal may indeed just be a trial balloon, a way to soften the blow if a greater tax load is levied instead. But whatever the purpose of the proposal, or what hidden agenda it could hold beneath, one fact is becoming abundantly clear. Every Canadian province is struggling with health-care costs in this day and age.
A long, hard look at the system is needed to find out what is working and what is not working.
Ontario and British Columbia are working on plans with pharmaceutical companies and hospitals, respectively, to help get costs under control, and more groundbreaking work is going to be needed in the future.
Alberta certainly has its challenges as well, as much work needs to be done to make our system much more efficient.