Therapy or Surgery? A Prescription for Canada’s Health System

[Michael Hardner]

On CBC Radio's "The House" there was a good amount of time focused on healthcare funding. Don Drummond has published a report outlining the challenge Canada faces in renewing the current funding agreement, which expires in 2014.

Nonetheless, economic realities mean that provincial governments will soon be compelled

to rein in healthcare cost increases as part of their drive to return to balanced budgets.

Given the reluctance to rely on tax increases and the 40 to 50 percent weight of healthcare

in total program spending, they will not likely hit their deficit targets if health spending

increases by more than 3 to 4 percent per annum over the next several years. In some

jurisdictions it will have to increase by less. But many questions surround these budget

plans. Can provinces restrain health-spending growth by that much for that long? Will the

pressures explode after a few years and return provinces to rapid health spending increases,

as happened in the late 1990s? Will the quality of care be jeopardized or will costs be

constrained by exploiting efficiency gains? Will the focus be largely on cost-cutting as

opposed to moving to a healthcare system design that best fits the needs of today’s and

tomorrow’s population?

According to Drummond, the system needs to be more efficient... but are we equipped to even have this discussion, given that Canadians tend to only argue the tired "public vs. private" debate. How can we discuss the smaller questions given the heavy backdrop of politics with this issue ?

[WWWTT]

This is a very good topic to start a thread about in my opinion!

However I believe the scope is greater than what is outlined above.

There should be greater emphasis put on prevention aswell!

Whats that saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?Or something like that.

This topic is far reaching into our justice system(controlled substance),education(obvious reasons) and other departments.

After all we are all human(living creatures) and everything we do in some way or another,directly or indirectly can have an influence upon our health or well being!

WWWTT

[Michael Hardner]

There should be greater emphasis put on prevention aswell!

This format of writing as sentence is known as the 'passive voice'...

That is "this should be done..." "that was achieved"... there is no WHO identified as in: "the GOVERNMENT should do this" or "industry achieved that".

Any changes to healthcare need to be identified as a project, IMO, with a clear responsible party outlining the costs, benefits, timelines and critical success factor.

[Shwa]

According to Drummond, the system needs to be more efficient... but are we equipped to even have this discussion, given that Canadians tend to only argue the tired "public vs. private" debate. How can we discuss the smaller questions given the heavy backdrop of politics with this issue ?

Simple: drop the political histrionics with regard to private health care cause it ain't gonna happen. The system will remain public and that is that. End of story.

Then plan projects accordingly.

Wait. Do you suppose that people working within our healthcare system are doing this all ready? Is that even possible?

[Michael Hardner]

Really ? Maybe so... Do you have a link?

[Shwa]

Really ? Maybe so... Do you have a link?

Here's a good one.

[Michael Hardner]

Ah yes... once again it's on us to search out how government is engaging with us on matters of our public healthcare. And this method is working so well to engender dialogue now, right ?

[wyly]

Ah yes... once again it's on us to search out how government is engaging with us on matters of our public healthcare. And this method is working so well to engender dialogue now, right ?

healthcare system/workers aren't allowed to tell us anything without approval from government and governments will only tell you when it benefits them or if they're forced to...the only way to get any government to cooperate is through the electoral process and that will never happen as election after election canadians never hold them accountable...in alberta despite healthcare being an important issue between elections it has little relevance during election as the party which is responsible for the healthcare deficiencies gets re-elected time after time so what incentive do they have to change? none...government behavior never changes because we don't hold them to account for their behavior, the odds you getting information that can hurt a sitting government slim to none...

[Michael Hardner]

Sadly you may be right.

[Topaz]

I think Canadians should watch very careful what the Feds say and don't say. In that firewall letter from Harper to Alberta's premier, he believes in the provinces paying their own way and if Canadians know anything about Harper, he's stubborn and always wants his way. Listening to some of the info. coming out of Halifax Health meeting, we already had private health care and the public is paying for. I say, if they are going to allow US private health care in Canada, then its should be all private, even the funding of it because the average Canadian couldn't afford to go to a private clinic. At the same time, they must fix the public so patients can get the treatment they need at a reasonable time limit, just like the MPP's and MP's do.