Manitoba NDP denies request

[jdobbin]

http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/manitoba/2...346486-sun.html

The Manitoba government quashed a health department suggestion earlier this year to fully fund the cost of sex reassignment surgeries, hormone treatments and other procedures necessary to perform sex changes.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario and B.C all pay for the services.

It is either a medical condition or its not.

Even the right leaning Sun chain had this to say:

http://www.winnipegsun.com/comment/editori...364811-sun.html

The truth is many governments do care and do fund these procedures.

Manitoba can't be that far behind.

It seems this is being done as a cost saving measure and sometimes it is easier to tackle things that seem taboo. It is one of the reasons why mental health and other medical conditions often find themselves cut off.

The Manitoba Tories are saying this evidence of the NDP spending money on the bureaucracy.

Myrna Driedger, Manitoba's opposition Tory health critic, said the government here has left itself little option to fund new services because its "bloated bureaucracies" are taking dollars away from care.

"It's impossible in Manitoba right now to fund new things when we look at how the NDP's been mismanaging health care," she said, noting several provinces also fund other things Manitoba doesn't, like the cancer drug Avastin.

"I think the province needs to look at (GID treatment). It's a recognized mental disorder. If other provinces are doing it and Manitoba isn't, I think we should look at it. Having said that, whether or not you agree or disagree with it, there isn't even the ability to do it because of where they've been putting the money lately."

It is hard not to see how the province has been spending huge money on Health Authority staffing and offices all over the province.

Edited August 6, 2009 by jdobbin

[punked]

The young Liberals of NS passed a resolution like this. Last I heard from some friends out there, the party tour them apart and changed the leadership. They also made them take out there proposals to pretend legislature. What an embarrassment.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/03/02/...operations.html

[jdobbin]

The young Liberals of NS passed a resolution like this. Last I heard from some friends out there, the party tour them apart and changed the leadership. They also made them take out there proposals to pretend legislature. What an embarrassment.

The story shows a pretty high vote in favour.

When will the NDP government fund it?

[punked]

The story shows a pretty high vote in favour.

When will the NDP government fund it?

Ummmmmmmmmmmm I honestly don't know seeing as it cost 30 000- 40 000 dollars a surgery and provincial health care is strapped in all provinces maybe when the Federal Government pays for its share like it promised under Pearson.

Why did the Liberal party in NS do everything it could to distance itself from its youth wing?

Edited August 6, 2009 by punked

[jdobbin]

Ummmmmmmmmmmm I honestly don't know seeing as it cost 30 000- 40 000 dollars a surgery and provincial health care is strapped in all provinces maybe when the Federal Government pays for its share like it promised under Pearson.

Other provinces pay for it. Is that going to be the NDP's excuse for not paying for things: That the feds won't pay?

Why did the Liberal party in NS do everything it could to distance itself from its youth wing?

That is not what the article said. The article said it wasn't going to be high on the priority list given the costs. It seems to be the same argument you are making for why the NDP won't act. Except you blame the federal government. How do other provinces manage?

Edited August 6, 2009 by jdobbin

[punked]

Other provinces pay for it. Is that going to be the NDP's excuse for not paying for things: That the feds won't pay?

That is not what the article said. The article said it wasn't going to be high on the priority list given the costs. It seems to be the same argument you are making for why the NDP won't act. Except you blame the federal government. How do other provinces manage?

Other provinces do it by wasting a lot of money.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...8b-3c411397db5e

Alberta stopped paying last year and saved 3 million, that is a lot of hospitable beds for the elderly and sick. I am all for funding it however when it comes down to giving someone cancer treatment or this I think life or death comes first. It is a lot of money and the federal government cut back health care transfer to between 12-16% of the costs the provinces incur. Maybe when the provinces get their money they can pay for it.

As for NS Liberals they ran away and made sure to clean their party out of those progressives.

[jdobbin]

Alberta stopped paying last year and saved 3 million, that is a lot of hospitable beds for the elderly and sick. I am all for funding it however when it comes down to giving someone cancer treatment or this I think life or death comes first. It is a lot of money and the federal government cut back health care transfer to between 12-16% of the costs the provinces incur. Maybe when the provinces get their money they can pay for it.

I'm afraid blaming the feds every time you make a choice like this doesn't wash.

I don't hear provinces blaming the Feds for cutting this area. Admit that it is just easier to cut things in the realm of mental health conditions.

As for NS Liberals they ran away and made sure to clean their party out of those progressives.

Which you have not shown any evidence of.

[punked]

I'm afraid blaming the feds every time you make a choice like this doesn't wash.

I don't hear provinces blaming the Feds for cutting this area. Admit that it is just easier to cut things in the realm of mental health conditions.

It is a tough choice but their is only so much money to go around. Like I said their is a shortage of hospitable beds in the best of times, and surgery rooms booked months in advance. If their was more money in the system this could be a real option but sometimes you have to make tough decisions they are the ones in power, they are not the ones with two seats that dream big dreams and don't have to pay for them. Alberta saved 3 million last year by cutting their program, over 10 years that is 30 million and that is a new rural hospitable. These are the choices you have to make when in government, they are tough.

Which you have not shown any evidence of.

Hmmmmmmmm funny it is ok when Liberals do it and when the NDP does it is bad?

[Bonam]

Why should government pay for gender change operations to begin with?

[jdobbin]

Why should government pay for gender change operations to begin with?

If it is a health condition, why wouldn't they?

[jdobbin]

It is a tough choice but their is only so much money to go around. Like I said their is a shortage of hospitable beds in the best of times, and surgery rooms booked months in advance. If their was more money in the system this could be a real option but sometimes you have to make tough decisions they are the ones in power, they are not the ones with two seats that dream big dreams and don't have to pay for them. Alberta saved 3 million last year by cutting their program, over 10 years that is 30 million and that is a new rural hospitable. These are the choices you have to make when in government, they are tough.

Did they cut the program because it saved money or because they don't believe in it?

Hmmmmmmmm funny it is ok when Liberals do it and when the NDP does it is bad?

I said you have not shown evidence that the Liberals went after their own.

[stranger little]

Good on the Manitoba NDP. Health care costs are through the roof. I don't mind a subsidization for the procedures provided by the province but paying for the whole thing. No way!!!

[punked]

Did they cut the program because it saved money or because they don't believe in it?

They said they did becuase it saved 3 million, and in a province that can not pay 350,000 to save a young girls life it seems about right.

[madmax]

Ayatollah Khomeini

He shows me the book in Arabic in which, 41 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini wrote about new medical issues like transsexuality.

"I believe he was the first Islamic scientist in the world of Islam who raised the issue of sex change," says Hojatulislam Kariminia.

The Ayatollah's ruling that sex-change operations were allowed has been reconfirmed by Iran's current spiritual leader.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/4115535.stm

Last Updated: Wednesday, 5 January, 2005, 17:07 GMT

Iran's sex-change operations

By Frances Harrison

The BBC's Tehran correspondent

Clerics can study transsexuality but not homosexuality which is illegal in Iran

In a country that has outlawed homosexuality, Frances Harrison meets one Iranian cleric who says the right to a sex change is a human right.

For 20 years Mahyar has been a woman trapped in a man's body.

[jdobbin]

They said they did becuase it saved 3 million, and in a province that can not pay 350,000 to save a young girls life it seems about right.

It seems the condition was picked based on political distaste rather than health.

Edited August 7, 2009 by jdobbin

[Smallc]

We pay for some, on a case by case basis. We can't be everything to everyone all of the time. Do we want new MRIs, or this? A medical helicopter (which will be coming), or this? I could go on.

[bush_cheney2004]

We pay for some, on a case by case basis. We can't be everything to everyone all of the time. Do we want new MRIs, or this? A medical helicopter (which will be coming), or this? I could go on.

So the decision process is arbitrary and capricious? Wonderful !

[Smallc]

No, it isn't arbitrary at all. Things are always assessed on the basis of need.

[bush_cheney2004]

No, it isn't arbitrary at all. Things are always assessed on the basis of need.

Please cite the objective criteria that support assessments based on need.

So far you have only referred to ability to pay.

[Smallc]

You really are dense, aren't you? The board that decides what will and won't be covered assess which needs are greater. In other words, "what can we pay for with what we have?"

Edited August 7, 2009 by Smallc

[jdobbin]

We pay for some, on a case by case basis. We can't be everything to everyone all of the time. Do we want new MRIs, or this? A medical helicopter (which will be coming), or this? I could go on.

If the government won't cover it, they should let private insurance cover it.

Edited August 8, 2009 by jdobbin

[Smallc]

What private insurance agency is going to cover sex changes that the government doesn't? The government does allow insurance to cover things that they don't as long as insurance is willing (eg. dental, prescription, eyecare).

[jdobbin]

What private insurance agency is going to cover sex changes that the government doesn't? The government does allow insurance to cover things that they don't as long as insurance is willing (eg. dental, prescription, eyecare).

Some private insurers around the world let insurance cover sex change surgery. Goldman Sachs company was one such company that has insurance coverage for it.

If the Manitoba government won't cover something, they should let private insurance cover it. They won't though. Why is that?

[Shady]

If it is a health condition, why wouldn't they?

Many things can be described as a "health condition." In this case, the NDP Government is absolutely correct. Healthcare dollars are scarce, and we shouldn't be wasting them on elective surgeries like sex-change operations.

And Dobbin has a lot of nerve bringing this whole issue up. Thanks to the Ontario Liberals, eye exams and PSA tests for prostate cancer are now unfunded by OHIP. They've also broken promises to parents with chilcren suffering from autism. But at least they're funding sex-change operations, right Dobbin? Pathetic.

Once again Dobbin exposes himself as the policial hack everyone knows he is.

[jdobbin]

Many things can be described as a "health condition." In this case, the NDP Government is absolutely correct. Healthcare dollars are scarce, and we shouldn't be wasting them on elective surgeries like sex-change operations.

It is why I've asked the question of allowing private insurance to cover something that the government won't cover. As a right winger, surely you don't have a problem with private insurance.

And Dobbin has a lot of nerve bringing this whole issue up. Thanks to the Ontario Liberals, eye exams and PSA tests for prostate cancer are now unfunded by OHIP. They've also broken promises to parents with chilcren suffering from autism. But at least they're funding sex-change operations, right Dobbin? Pathetic.

I don't live in Ontario. Why don't you bring it up yourself?

I do live in Manitoba and I wonder why something is not covered. And if it is the government decision to not cover it, why not allow private insurance to cover it? It is certainly something that private insurance does in the U.S.

My view is that it is a political decision based on the taboo. However, if that is the case, the NDP should not stand in the way of allowing private insurance to cover it.

Once again Dobbin exposes himself as the policial hack everyone knows he is.

Once again you expose yourself for the frothy, right wing attacker that you are.

Edited August 8, 2009 by jdobbin