Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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?

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Posted in Health Policy Context | 6 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.

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Posted in Health Delivery System | 10 Comments »


Access to care: 5 principles for action on primary health-care teams

Friday, January 10th, 2025

… a “health home”…would guarantee every person access to a primary care team close to where they live. The Primary Care Action Team has announced its plans to achieve this goal within five years. A health home is the front door to the health system and includes a team of primary care providers that supports an individual’s health and wellness; co-ordinating care across the system and through every stage of their lives… based on where you live… just as you would have access to your local school.

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9 supervised consumption sites in Ontario are switching to drug recovery treatment hubs

Monday, January 6th, 2025

The sites selected are within 200 metres of schools and licensed child-care centres in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, Guelph and Thunder Bay. They will be converted into what the province calls Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, with 10 others also being created across the province… Applications for the remaining HART Hubs are under review and will be announced in the coming weeks.

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Posted in Health Delivery System | 334 Comments »


Massive tobacco settlement at risk of being misused

Tuesday, December 10th, 2024

The settlement provides financial restitution to class-action claimants and allocates funds to a vaguely defined research foundation. But where are the funds for front-line solutions? … To ensure [meaningful change], provinces must direct funds toward lung health programs, tax all nicotine products, close gaps in vaping regulation, and institute ongoing cost-recovery fees… ensuring that the funds are allocated where they’re needed most: to education, prevention, and treatment programs that advance lung health. 

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