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The Continued Bastardisation of Canada's Health Care System |
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Written by D.L. McCracken
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Wednesday, 11 January 2006 |
With the announcement today that three more private health care clinics will be opened in three Ontario cities by this coming summer, this writer believes it is prudent to re-publish a column written late last year which explored the new trend, dubbed the 'bastardisation of Canada's health care system'.
On Wednesday, Don Copeman who founded the first private clinic in Vancouver announced the expansion of his private clinic franchise in Toronto, Ottawa and London. Copeman has plans to open 12 elite private healthcare clinics across the country including plans for a clinic in Halifax by the end of 2008.
Accompanying Mr. Copeman at the news conference today was the Corporate Medical Director of Copeman Healthcare Centres, Dr. Peter House who pointed out to reporters that long wait lists and lack of "individualized" health care prevention programs within our existing universal arrangement have contributed to an ineffective public system. House added, "Unfortunately, managing your health is more difficult than ever in Canada, particularly when it comes to preventing serious illness or treating urgent or elective medical conditions.”
Enter private health care. But I continue to ask: private health care for all or only for the rich? Time to pay attention, Canada. Two-tier health care is here and it's franchising.
Welcome To The Bastardisation of Canada's Health Care System
by D.L. McCracken
Originally published 22 November 2005
In the news this morning the good people of Canada and more specifically Vancouver have been informed of the grand opening of what can only be interpreted as the official beginning of the two-tier health care system in this country.
The Copeman Healthcare Centre in a press release today announced that they are now open for business and whether by design or entirely coincidental, the Corporate Medical Director is none other than Dr. House. Peter House, no doubt a world renowned Diagnostician. I wonder if he has striking blue eyes...
With visions of Hugh Laurie taking up residence in my mind's eye I decided to take a virtual tour through this newest private medical care facility and quickly Googled their name. I was instantly transported to a very well done and entirely professionally executed website at www.copemanhealthcare.com . As I began to click through various pages my impression shifted to another televison show that I used to watch from time to time when there was nothing else on - it was called 'Doc' and starred Billy Ray Cyrus. The Copeman Centre is almost exactly like the private facility in which Cyrus' character worked as a physician. Managed care all under the closely observed eye of the flustered office manager who was constantly at loggerheads with the doctors over what the HMO's would pay and what they would not and if they wouldn't pay, the patient was out of luck. Of course Billy Ray always came to the rescue of the patient but that was pure fiction. Well at least the rescue part was.
The truth is that it's economically-based medical care. That is of course the American health care system. And the Copeman Centre is designed using the American system as their guide.
The website is dazzling - nice font, not too small..great pictures of good looking doctors and nurses..sections explaining Copeman's services, missions and values, staffing, etc and finally the fees. The nitty-gritty.
I left "costs" till last and lo! and behold I found what I was looking for almost immediately. But first let's examine the Centre's pricing policy and I must warn you boys and girls, private medical care doesn't come cheap:
* $2,300 per person and financing is available at a rate of $200 per month. Children under 18 are "free" but a family with two parents will be paying $400/month;
* $1,200 enrollment fee per person and monthly financing is availabe for that as well. In simple terms, that's about half of the yearly fee so with financing, that would be approxiametly $100 per month, bringing the monthly payment for 2 adults in a family to $600 per month.
Social Assistance recipients and low income families or individuals need not apply. For that reason alone - that families/individuals who have an income below a certain amount do not have a hope in hell of receiving this wonderful health care - indicates that Canada has officially entered the era of two-tier healthcare - one for the rich/well-off and one for the poor/less-advantaged and guess who is going to be healthier?
Now for the good part and I quote from the website:
"All medically necessary diagnostic and treatment work is paid for by the government under the provincial health insurance plan."
If this is a private healthcare facility in which one must pay dearly to join to be afforded the best medical attention that money can buy, why would the government be billed for "medically necessary diagnostic and treatment work"? This also begs the question, would a patient who requires a service not offered by the private facility be bumped to the top of the general population wait list? I suggest they would and again by perusing their website, that very question is posed in their FAQ section. Interestingly enough the question is asked in a way that would require a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer but nowhere in their response can one find anything close. It's a fine piece of verbal spin.
Don Copeman who founded the clinic, and co-owns the False Creek Surgical Centre in Vancouver has said that his model of primary care "will allow doctors to give patients more time and extensive diagnostic and screening facilities without the long waits they would face in the public system", according to an article on today's CNEWS website. Makes one wonder if the reason for avoiding those long wait-lines would be a convenient (and well paid for) placement at or near the top of the list.
Copeman in June announced plans for more “boutique-style” centres across Canada. Has our medical sytem really come to this? "Boutique-style"? Blood pressure and a spray tan? Maryann Abbs who coordinates the BC Health Coalition said at that time, “The Copeman Healthcare Centre stands for everything that Medicare founder Tommy Douglas despised – a two-tier system where those who can pay get better health care treatment and those who can’t must wait longer for doctors’ appointments". Yes Maryann, there really is a two-tier system and it's touted as "the healthcare you've been waiting for".
If "boutique-style" private health care facilities like the Copeman Centre are allowed to open across Canada, this country will witness the emergence of yet another elite class - "The Healthy" and they will join the ranks of the already well establised "The Wealthy". Just what this country needs, another elitist status class.
There is something fundamentally unjust when the road to healthy lifestyle nirvana is directly related to how much one can pay to achieve that goal.
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