Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

« Older Entries | Newer Entries »

Covid Vaccine Campaigns Saved $Billions In Damages

Thursday, December 15th, 2022

“Overall, our analysis shows vaccines were highly effective at reducing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths – estimates suggest 21 percent fewer cases, 37 percent fewer hospitalizations and 34,900 fewer deaths (from January 2021 to May 2022),”

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Provinces want a blank cheque for health care. Ottawa should say no

Wednesday, December 14th, 2022

In the short term, the supposed health care transfer would simply go to pay down the debts of subnational governments… With recent history as a guide, much of that money would go to increasing salaries of health care workers, not to improving services… In that light, Ottawa’s position that ties new funding to a national health data system makes sense. So does its push for goals in key areas of reform, including family health and long-term care.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »


Opposition parties willing to help Liberals delay MAID expansion

Tuesday, December 13th, 2022

In considering a pause, MacGregor told the Star, the NDP would want to ensure that the Liberals take time to put in place “better treatment, supports, and poverty reduction efforts.” A response to concerns that some Canadians are seeking MAID because they can’t access proper medical treatments to alleviate their suffering, or access social programs or live adequately on their disability benefits.

Tags: ,
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »


The pandemic worsened access to medicine for close to 1 in 5 people

Wednesday, November 16th, 2022

Percentages of people reporting not having prescription insurance to cover medication cost was higher among immigrants (29%) relative to non-immigrants (17%) and among racialized persons (29%) relative to non-racialized and non-Indigenous persons (17%)… The new findings should instill added urgency in the federal government which has promised to make progress on a national universal pharmacare program

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Prescription for a broken health care system can’t be more politics

Sunday, November 13th, 2022

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos arrived promising an increase in health care transfers to the provinces in return for agreement on national health care indicators and creation of a health care data system. Duclos left Vancouver blaming premiers for undercutting the work of their health ministers by issuing a statement that the Vancouver meeting was a failure, even as the meeting was ongoing.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Why hasn’t medical care in Canada included teeth?

Saturday, November 12th, 2022

… when Canada’s Medical Care Act was passed in 1966, only physician services were covered — even though the 1964 Royal Commission on Health Services report (considered the blueprint for Canada’s universal health insurance program) had recommended free dentistry for all children and eventually for all adults. The Canada Dental Benefit, which received parliamentary approval on October 27, will provide free dental care for uninsured Canadians with an annual family income of less than $90,000, starting with children under 12 in December 2022.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Health History | 1 Comment »


‘A dangerous time for public medicare’: False promise of privatization won’t solve health-care crisis

Sunday, November 6th, 2022

Pro-privatization doctors and associated businesses are pushing hard to take advantage of Canadians’ fears and frustration that their loved ones will suffer with unmet health needs. But the promises of reduced wait times through privatization ring false for most Canadians… We need to apply pressure to both levels of government to attend to this crisis now. Provinces need to take bold steps, including…

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Health Delivery System, Health Policy Context | No Comments »


Landmark Dental Benefit Act passes House of Commons final vote – so, what’s next?

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022

Bill C-31… the Dental Benefit Act is an interim step toward the much fuller and more comprehensive public dental program… the new public dental program will be a federal program without cooperation from the provinces and territories. The NDP agrees with the Liberals’ go-it-alone approach to avoid the new program becoming embroiled in federal-provincial wrangling over health care dollars…

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »


Insiders say Justin Trudeau ready to freeze out Quebec and other provinces in federal health-care deals

Friday, October 28th, 2022

… if Ottawa needs to sign deals with only some provinces and leave others… it’s a move the federal government is prepared to make…  Government sources suggest there will be money — but with “light” conditions. Ottawa won’t allow federal cash to offset provincial money, they say. If the provinces choose to reduce their level of health-care funding, the federal government wants to reduce its transfers by the same amount.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »


Tackling the opioid crisis

Tuesday, October 11th, 2022

… statistics point us to two solutions: First, we need to regulate, rather than criminalize, all psychoactive drugs, and second, we ought to provide a safe supply of drugs to users. Those two solutions were, respectively, the “core” and “urgent” priorities identified by an expert task force last year, but so far, Ottawa has done relatively little toward making them a reality.

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »


« Older Entries | Newer Entries »