Brian Mason op/ed on Bill 208: Guaranteeing Public

Increasingly, the proponents of privatized healthcare are exposing their plans to fundamentally change the way we deliver care in Alberta.

While Danielle Smith and her Wildrose Alliance unabashedly praise – but only vaguely outline – systems around the world where private delivery plays a big role, the PC Party has had its own plans for privatization laid bare by Alberta’s NDP.

We see the threat coming, and we’re countering with our own positive action to guarantee public healthcare for Alberta’s future.

In a leaked document we released during the spring session, the PCs say they’re currently trying to build confidence by making small changes before delivering a wallop to the public healthcare system after the next election. Because the PCs know privatization is deeply unpopular, they refuse to let voters in on their true intentions for our health system. They tried it with the Third Way, and they’ll do it again.

There’s an effective alternative. We believe public health care offers the best results at the lowest costs to Albertans.  Alberta’s NDP has tabled Bill 208 – an act that puts barriers to privatization into Alberta’s healthcare legislation. We’ll ban extra billing and charging for preferred access to services through private clinics, require all insured surgeries to be conducted in public or not for profit facilities by 2015.

But it’s not enough to simply prevent privatization. To rebuild confidence in the system, we need to make it stronger so Albertans have faith that the system is there to support them however needed.

We’ll expand insured services through a plan by the end of 2012 to ensure access to prescription drugs is not impeded by cost, and dental services for those under 18 years of age and those over 64 years of age (except cosmetic) are insured. We’ll also ensure care is offered where it’s needed by setting maximum distances patients have to travel for particular services. Elected regional health advisory bodies will ensure tax dollars are invested where they’re needed – with knowledge of how things work locally.

Alberta’s NDP believes we can control the increases in health care costs through smart planning. By guaranteeing long-term care and homecare for our seniors, we’ll stop clogging up expensive emergency beds and shorten wait times. We’ll also establish a Health Care Planning Council to ensure clear time-lines and appropriate long-term planning and coordination for infrastructure, capital spending, and human resources; with annual reports tabled in the Legislature.

Together these measures will steer Alberta down the path toward effective, efficient health care and away from dead end of privatization championed by the PC and Wildrose Alliance parties.

 Brian Mason,

Leader, Alberta's NDP Opposition