The Americanization of Canadian Health Care: First, Quebec, Then, Rest of Canada

Yes, everyone is all abuzz about this health care so-called user fee. As I mentioned previously, if the fee was a fixed price going up to 200$ per year and it ended there, I would be ok with that given 200$ at the end of the year is still not the American Private Health Insurance system with it’ s exorbitant rates, co-pays, discrimination, hefty out of pocket and ceilings.

However, they are speaking of eventually adding a questionaire in the next tax return forms so they can set the table to add extra fees for those who use the health care system more often. Now here inlies the birth of the Americanization of our health care system.

Most are grumbling about that, but that’s all it is. Grumbling. Because, as usual, we’re too lazy to get up and act.  Co-workers are going to sit and take it, it would seem. They tell me that activism never ever accomplishes anything.  Hell, even a lawyer with whom I work said we don’t have a choice but to sit and take it.

Funny, how protesting seems to work quite well in Europe. I’m sure if their social programs were about to be hijacked by their respective governments, they’d surely be making an awful lot of noise out there.

My husband who has  an assortment of pre-existing conditions is lamenting about preparing his will because he will die sooner when they implement this ghastly penalty for using the health care system. Guess what? I can’t reassure him because no one is willing to do anything to save our universal health care system; therefore, this “American more you use: more you pay” thing that Quebec will put into place (and make no mistake; they will, thanks largely in part to greedy doctors who want to add a second lexus in the driveway or join  a second country club that practices exclusion).

When I mused to someone about my husband’s fears, she just started to giggle. I wanted to slap her.

Oh yeah, there were protests this afternoon of about 10,000 – 15,000 folks, but something tells me it wasn’t about stopping that penalty.

Oh gawd! And on the right, I have read the common thread that they seem to think that it’s mostly old people who go because they’re lonely and they’re abusing the system and of course, mine and Redneck Ryan’s favorite:  penalize people for unhealthy lifestyles; get them in the gym: make them eat proper; quit smoking, etc. etc.

Well, most chronically sick people don’t fall into those categories. I have met plenty of folks with cancer who didn’t get it by their own design, as well as those who have congenitive heart failure, kidney failure that requires dialysis 3 days per week.  How about diseases like Multiple Sclerosis? Lou Gehrig’s disease?

What about nursing home care or hospice care?

How about pregnant women?  They need to see the doctor and have tests regularly to ensure that mom and the fetus remain healthy. You socons all bitch about not enough babies being made. If this new fee for simply using the health care system goes into law, as it will be if apathy continues, women will have another reason to not not have any babies. Simple as that.

The PQ says it will oppose. Now there’s a laugh. Hello, Charest has a majority, it will pass. And even if the PQ opposed, this is rich because much of these problems started with Marois herself when she fired the doctors and nurses and closed hospitals. She even said recently that if she had it to do over again, she would.

Even richer. The Feds are ‘keeping an eye on things’.  Dmitri Soudas even says that the Canada Health Act is “the law of the land.” Oh yeah! How reassuring, given Harper said many years ago that

“It’s past time the feds scrapped the Canada Health Act.”
- Stephen Harper, in 1997, as Vice-President of the National Citizens Coalition

For that reason, if anything, this should make Charest and Steve buddies; kindred spirits. OH! And here’s more on how Harper would ‘protect universal health care’

“What we clearly need is experimentation with market reforms and private delivery options [in health care].”
- Stephen Harper, then President of the NCC, 2001.

“We also support the exploration of alternative ways to deliver health care. Moving toward alternatives, including those provided by the private sector, is a natural development of our health care system.”
- Stephen Harper, Toronto Star, October 2002.

Oh yeah! Him and the bimbette, Agluquack and Soudas together they will fight to keep universal health care. OH yeah! Absolutely. Just like when British Colombia implemented their 57$ per month user fee. Just like when Cleveland and MedCan came from the States and set up shop in TO,  just like that right wingnut and her other wankers on the supreme court who judged in favor of Chaoulli so he could pursue his goal of making more money than Gawd.

Why don’t a lot of people get it? Private for profit costs much more than public. The U.S. prooved that their private system costs more per gdp than our’s does. The Charest gov’t shells out more to the private sector than  the public. Why is this government hell bent on continuing down this path when evidence has shown not to improve the health care system any? We have had private for profit for sometime here since Chaoulli v The Gov’t of Quebec and the waiting lists hadn’t improved.

If one watched the segment on health care during the Thinkers’ Conference last week-end, Dr Bernstein said that while he was not against the principle of private health care, he said that we should tread lightly and not jump into it like it’s some novelty. Bernstein also said that the American private model was more costly 18% GDP but delivered an inferior product. The Canadian universal health care only costs 13% GDP.

So why are those on the right soooo fixated on private for profit American health care system for Canada? I don’t get it. Those on the right are supposed be more fiscally responsible, or so we thought.  They don’t care about cost.  Public doesn’t trade on the stock exchange.  Public also can’t lobby or contribute to the Liberal party (or Harpercons or other political parties for that matter) election campaigns. Either that or they really are sadistic and enjoy seeing the poor suffer greatly.

I understand fixed fees like the 25$, 100$ and 200$ per year: Kim Fraser, James Mennie and Trudy were bitching about paying more taxes for the status quo. Well, wankers, you don’t get economics for dummies, do you? If they don’t charge this extra tax, our services would be further gutted; cut off entirely, except for that private health insurance Americana style faster than you can say pre-existing condition where you’re covered as long as you don’t make any claims.

It also appears that Iggy is supporting Charest’s move, however, unlike the Harpercons who always seem to be in lockstep with their master, Liberal MPs would surely disagree with Iggy: folks like Justin Trudeau or Bob Rae and many others I’m sure.

Not sure if his recent statement will cause more party infighting,

If I may sidestep for a moment here, Eugene Forsey’s post illustrates pretty much that Steve  could get a majority by stating that he will do all to save medicare, thanks to Iggy’s verbal support for Jean Charest today.  I’m not so inclined to believe that. He’ll get his majority come this fall, but not because of  medicare.  He never campaigned on it. Steve even sidestepped the issue while on ABC’s Jake Tapper show. In fact, he sidesteps it every chance he gets.

No, I’m encouraging my husband and everyone else who has chronic conditions or a disability to do his/her will now, unless  apathy somehow dies and folks wake up to the fact that it’s up to all of us to not allow this extra fees everytime we use the hospital  in addition to the user fee being implemented as of 2011, when we file our 2010 tax return.

Where the hell is Michael Moore when we need him?