Single Tier System?

No. We have a multi tier health system. If you have lots of money you go to Rochester or some other expensive clinic in the U.S. and get your diagnosis one day and your operation or whatever else you need in the next week or two. We all understand that. But the great cry at election by Liberals and the NDP is that we must retain a one-tier health system.
Let’s be honest. If you work for a company (especially the government or in education), which has a great health plan, you get semi private or private accommodation. People who don’t have that coverage in our country get to stay in a four-bed ward. This is not special treatment? This is not “a two tier” health system?
It does not stop here. Did you know that there are more of the advanced diagnostic machines per capita in the Ottawa area than anywhere else in the country – under a “national one tier health system?” Does that surprise you? Our former Prime Minister used a “private clinic” specialist, which had “diagnostic” machines for those who wanted to pay for them. The great champion of “one tier health care” Mr. Leighton had his hernia fixed at the best “private” clinic for hernias in Canada. Do really believe that a politician or a high-end government employee in Ottawa, or Toronto or anywhere else in the country goes on the same waiting list for critical surgery or a specialist waiting list? The multi tier health system in already in place and no one is going to make everyone, regardless of social or financial states go to a four bed ward or wait six months to see a specialist. To provide everyone with private rooms and instant access (as the higher end politicians, rich and connected have) to our health system is far beyond our financial capacity.
Is the answer to these “special” exceptions forcing everyone into a four-bed ward and a six-month wait for a cancer surgery? No. One answer is to allow “private” clinics and hospitals to provide alternate care, competition and a more diagnostic machines like CATT scans, MRI machines etc.
Before you turn blue and have a heart attack (remember you have a long wait to get to the table for that bypass) think rationally about this.
If you allow private clinics to build and provide care you do a number of helpful things all at once.
First- the people who build the clinic have the expense of building the facility and buying the machines and paying their staff.
But you object they might make money from our health system and take our tax dollars when they provide treatment under our health system.
Do you ever think of whose money paid for the beautiful hospitals we have? Who buys the diagnostic machines in those hospitals? Who pays the staff in those hospitals? The question is not will they make money providing the same services, which our present public service provides, but this. Why would someone come in, build a building, buy expensive machines and pay staff and make a profit when they get the same price (from our health system) that our present hospitals do? Is it possible that there are some things in our health system, which could be done more efficiently if they had competition for the tax money spent on your present care?
Second – more facilities would mean shortened wait times. We might even get to the place where reasonable wait times like a couple of weeks would be available in either a “private” or public facility.
But you object since it is a private facility rich people could jump the waiting list and get faster access to care than everyone else.
Do you think that it is not possible to license such facilities on the basis that they must provide service to all on the waiting list before they provide service to special interest groups?
Do you think “rich people” would go somewhere else if the present system was efficient and they could get rapid access to what they need here (most rich people are rich because they do not spend money unnecessarily, they do not go to foreign clinics because they want to spend money but because they want rapid service that they cannot get here under the present system). If our system were efficient then they would have no reason to go elsewhere.
Do you think that our present public system might improve if they had to bid for taking care of you rather than having a monopoly which has no real check on its costs?
Do you think it would be bad for the country if the rich peoples money stayed in the country and paid taxes and salaries in Canada?
Do you think that, our own people being served first, people from other countries might come here and spend their money in our excellent health system or the private facilities rather than paying the huge price which is exacted by the specialized clinics in their own countries.
Do you think that charging a modest premium to out of country people who come to use our private or public health system, when there is room, and so support our health system would be a bad thing.
If the private clinics knew they had that option do you think they might provide even more facilities so that they could take care of you and I and have extra room to sell to others?
Do you think that keeping more of the best doctors and specialists working in our country and in our hospitals because they have adequate facilities and salaries would be a bad thing?
These are only some of the questions that need thoughtful answers before we opt for a system which will continue to provide better care and access times for the rich and those with enough pull and influence in our present “multi tier” health system.