Some of those developments have come with their fair share of criticism from public health advocates. As surgical wait lists grow, Canada's private clinics cash in.
So before we sort through the political spin, let's take a look at what the discussion consists of in Canada right now, specifically discussing the two elements at play here: privately delivered, publicly funded health care, and privately paid health care.įederal laws in Canada dictate that charges for "medically necessary" services, provided in a hospital or by a doctor, can't be charged back to a patient. Both sides have elements to unpack, which we'll get to.īut it's easy to get confused, because there are a lot of things at play here. The NDP has already tried to make political hay from UCP Leader Danielle Smith's plan to establish health spending accounts, while the UCP has held fast to a recent pledge that it plans to protect public health care. So do solutions to Alberta's health-care crisis involve an increased role for the private sector? Are such moves likely to be effective? And what does each party leader believe? A quick refresherĪs election season kicks off in Alberta, it's likely you'll be hearing a lot about introducing more privatization into health services. Whoever wins the provincial election will be a key participant in a national debate that will define what happens next to one of Canada's most cherished symbols of identity. In Alberta, both the United Conservative Party and New Democratic Party have broadly pledged to protect public health care.īut the debate truly lies at the boundaries of the system, where the division between public and private pay is blurred. In this crucial moment, there's consensus that some kind of change is required to ward off pressure on the system. For those reasons, health care is his top election issue. His wife waited two years to get an operation, while a friend of his has waited years for a knee replacement. Ron Clark said he feels like he fell through the cracks when it came to doctors suggesting he get a colonoscopy for his colon cancer. Privatization has existed for decades in Canada, and in Alberta there are various publicly funded, privately-delivered options. That has led some provincial governments to consider an increased role for private health-care clinics, such as in Ontario. Zoom out for the big picture across Canada, and many of the same issues emerge. Health care has emerged as the top issue on the minds of Alberta voters as an election looms, polling suggests. That is reasonable," Clark said.įor years now, the symptoms of a provincial health-care system gasping for breath have become difficult to ignore, from rural emergency room closures, to ambulance shortages, to overwhelmed hospitals. "I think it's important for everybody - you need health care to be available and on a regular basis. With a provincial election looming, it's the issue that most concerns him. That's because Clark was diagnosed with cancer close to 10 years ago. For nearly a decade, Ron Clark has been operating a mobile chapel at truck stops across Alberta to provide chapel services for truckers.Īt 75, he's hopeful he can continue to do that for many years - but his health is always on his mind.
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