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M arkets are the most efficient mechanism to provide most goods and services. But, markets aren’t the best way to distribute everything. For example, we publicly fund and administer fire services. We don’t rely upon people to purchase firefighting insurance. What if everyone but one on the block had such insurance and his house caught on fire? Would we wait until the fire moved to someone else’s house before we called the firefighters? And would different fire services compete with each other? It sounds like a nightmare.
Some Canadians have long asserted that health care should be more private. Today they claim that we could fix the problems with our public system, especially waits and delays, through more private for profit involvement in financing and delivery of services.
However, solid evidence shows that more for profit finance would increase administrative costs and decrease equity. More for profit care delivery would also raise costs, while decreasing equity and risking quality. So-called public private partnerships appear to increase overall costs.
Both Ontario Conservative partly leader John Tory and the Canadian Medical Association have recommended that doctors be allowed to work in both the publicly paid and private pay systems. However, there are a number of serious dangers associated with this policy, which is why Ontario currently forces doctors to decide which system in which they wish to practice.
But, most importantly, we don’t need to turn Medicare over to commercial interests to get the high quality, timely, affordable health care we deserve. Using models already in operation and with very little additional money, Ontarians could have same day access to their regular primary health provider, less than one week waits for routine specialty care, and less than one month waits for routine elective surgery.
Those advocating more private for profit funding and delivery say their way promises faster service and lower costs. On closer scrutiny, these claims ring false. Let's not add for profit problems to our health care system. We already have the not for profit solutions at hand. Let’s raise our voices to demand the politicians implement them. And, then let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work fixing Medicare for all of us.
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"Privatized Health Care Won't Deliver"
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