Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Why Canadian-trained doctors should be allowed to practise anywhere in Canada without additional licensing
Monday, March 24th, 2025
Why, then, are doctors with identical training and qualifications confined to practising in just one province or territory? The answer lies not in medical competence, but in bureaucracy. Despite national standards for training and qualification, the power to grant a licence rests with 13 separate provincial and territorial regulatory colleges. This fragmented system creates artificial barriers, limiting the mobility of our highly skilled physicians across Canada.
Tags: Health, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Pharmacare is now law in Canada, but negotiations with provinces could slow progress
Monday, March 24th, 2025
Pharmacare could have been implemented nationally, like it was for the Canadian Dental Care Plan, offering federal coverage for essential medications like contraceptives and diabetes medications, while insurers and provincial plans cover the rest. This would have been a simple approach that would have allowed for future changes, and could have been implemented by provinces much like vaccines are — paid for using people’s provincial health numbers, sidestepping the difficulty of enrolling people in a new plan.
Tags: Health, jurisdiction, participation, pharmaceutical
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Canadian Dental Care Plan expands to include millions of new eligible Canadians
Sunday, March 23rd, 2025
Up to 4.5 million uninsured Canadians between 18 and 64 years-old are expected to join the millions of seniors, children, and adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate already eligible for affordable oral health care services under the CDCP. To date, close to 98% of active dentists, denturists, dental hygienists, and dental specialists in Canada, including those in educational institutions, are caring for patients covered under the CDCP.
Tags: disabilities, featured, Health, poverty, Seniors, standard of living, youth
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Why Canadian-trained doctors should be allowed to practise anywhere in Canada without additional licensing
Monday, March 17th, 2025
Why, then, are doctors with identical training and qualifications confined to practising in just one province or territory? … Despite national standards for training and qualification, the power to grant a licence rests with 13 separate provincial and territorial regulatory colleges. This fragmented system creates artificial barriers, limiting the mobility of our highly skilled physicians across Canada.
Tags: Education, Health, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Health care advocates need to keep up the pressure on Mark Carney
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
… on March 9, Carney said, “In America, health care is a big business. In Canada, it’s a right.” He did not say it is universal and public. When he mentioned pharmacare and dental care he tagged it with “for those who need it.” That sounds just like a fill-in-the-gaps program, and not a universal program. Big Pharma’s key demand is that eligibility be restricted to “those who need it” and exclude those who have private plans… It’s clear that Big Pharma… is plotting how the program can be modified.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, rights
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
The Dutch and Danes have much to teach Canada about better health care
Friday, February 7th, 2025
Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands all spend roughly the same per capita on health care… But both Denmark and the Netherlands have many more physicians per capita than Canada – about 60 per cent more… One of the best lessons Canada can take from European and Nordic countries with great primary care is the importance of teamwork. Nurses and practice assistants… do a lot of triage and care, and physicians focus on more serious issues.
Tags: budget, Health
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
We must confront the reality that Canada has a four-tier health care system
Tuesday, January 28th, 2025
The key question is whether… market-driven alternatives for personal health care can be thoughtfully integrated with the public system, augmenting services while assuring no one is left without access to all aspects of care, including acute, chronic, and preventive. At present, we’re not looking at solutions that reconcile both perspectives.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Ontario’s nurse practitioners urge province for clarity on publicly funded care
Saturday, January 18th, 2025
Canada has witnessed the arrival of companies offering for-profit medical care, including care delivered online, in which patients are charged a fee to access primary care from both doctors and NPs. Holland’s office said the minister’s new interpretation of the Canada Health Act leaves it up to the provinces and territories to decide if virtual health services are incorporated into their public health plans.
Tags: Health, jurisdiction, privatization
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Does the Canada Health Act require reinterpretation, or a more fundamental rethink?
Thursday, January 16th, 2025
The Canada Health Act clearly states that “physician services” and “hospital services” are covered by medicare. There is nothing about “physician-equivalent services.” … But, if some of the work of NPs, pharmacists and midwives is to be considered essential, what about psychologists, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals? And while we’re at it: Should everything doctors do be considered medically necessary and covered by medicare?
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
Free treatment for adults with depression and anxiety now available in Ontario
Sunday, January 12th, 2025
Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) is a free program for adults 18+ experiencing depression or anxiety-related concerns. Available virtually, by phone and in-person, OSP offers a range of services designed to address patient concerns and teach practical coping skills and strategies.
Tags: jurisdiction, mental Health, participation
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »