Budget 2023 overlooks Canada’s “dirty little secret” about federal health funding
Wednesday, May 24th, 2023
It’s a “dirty little secret” that the health care money sent to the provinces and territories under the Canada Health Transfer does not actually have to be spent on health care… Speaking on behalf of the Canadian Health Coalition, I urged MPs to take action to rein in health care privatization by the provinces, and to ensure that the promised Canada Pharmacare Act is a public, universal program that covers everyone.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, standard of living
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What the end of the Cambie legal saga means for public health care
Thursday, May 11th, 2023
The principles of the Canada Health Act remain intact. However, many provinces and corporate interests have recalibrated their strategy to undermine public health care. Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are entrenching for-profit interests by outsourcing surgeries to investor-owned facilities. This undermines hospital staffing and ability to provide timely care. Some for-profit clinics have engaged in unlawful extra-billing, entrenching two-tier health care.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization
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Eyes on Ontario after BC slams door on for-profit plasma collection
Wednesday, April 26th, 2023
Supporters of Canada’s safe, voluntary blood system are concerned that paying plasma donors, as Grifols does, could undermine essential voluntary blood donations and take advantage of economically disadvantaged people.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization
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Surgeries cost up to 150 per cent more in private clinics: Quebec study
Tuesday, April 25th, 2023
“. . .in 2019-2020, the cost of a carpal tunnel surgery averaged $908 in the private sector compared to $495 in the public sector; a short colonoscopy cost $739 in the private sector compared to $290 in a public institution,” said Anne Plourde, researcher, Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques (IRIS), about the Institute’s findings on the costs of surgeries and other procedures performed in the private sector in Quebec…
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization
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There’s universal support for pharmacare, finds new poll
Thursday, April 20th, 2023
87% of Canadians support implementing a national pharmacare program to provide equal access to prescription drugs for everyone in Canada… 86% of people feel the federal government has a responsibility for ensuring everyone in Canada has prescription drug coverage… 79% of people support the federal government taking charge to fund a national pharmacare program.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical
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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: Health, immigration, Indigenous, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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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: budget, Health, jurisdiction, participation, poverty, standard of living, youth
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Canada’s new dental care plan will be tangible and popular: MP Don Davies
Wednesday, August 31st, 2022
While Conservative politicians like Pierre Poilievre complain about the cost of a public dental care plan, Davies notes that delivering universal health care is actually cheaper. “We have been coasting on past glories for decades,” said Davies. “Yes, we have excellent care through hospitals and physicians, but we have a two-tiered, US-style access to care for dental care, prescription drugs, eye care, auditory care, and mental health care.”
Tags: Health, ideology, Indigenous, participation, poverty, standard of living
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Health Coalition Chairperson to seek accountability for health dollars at premiers’ meeting
Sunday, July 10th, 2022
The Canadian Health Coalition is in favour of increased federal funding to provinces, but not without strings attached to ensure the funding is used for health care in an accountable manner and supports our public health care system… Budget 2022 stated the federal government wants to ensure that any additional federal funding will improve Canada’s health care system.
Tags: budget, featured, Health, jurisdiction, standard of living
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Feds rightly cautious about provincial demands for unconditional health funding
Wednesday, June 1st, 2022
“Trudeau is correct to avoid what may amount to cutting a blank cheque to provinces if he cannot ensure that the money will deliver improvements to existing public health care and expanding public health care to much needed long-term care and universal pharmacare.” … More than eight out of every ten dollars provided in Canada to fight COVID-19 and support Canadians has been provided by the federal government…
Tags: budget, featured, Health, jurisdiction
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