Health Care Reform

There is an ongoing debate in Canada and Alberta about how to reform our publicly funding health care system.  The governments at both levels have commissioned numerous studies which have recommended a myriad of changes.  Always the studies have found that our current approach is unsustainable and some type of user pay must be introduced into the system to prevent collapse.  Yet over the 20 years I've been following this process, there has been no significant progress in reforming our health care system.  This lack of progress has baffled me.

A recent article in Macleans by Andrew Coyne entitled "The biggest hurdle to reform: unions" gave me some real insights into why after all these years and all the studies we continue to have a health care system that is unsustainable.  Our public sector and health care unions are so committed to maintaining the status quo that they are hobbling the legislators.  The result is that we are stuck with a system that is increasingly inefficient and unresponsive.  It is a health care system that, although once the envy of the world, has rapidly fallen to become one of the least effective.  Our population is suffering all because we can't let go of the flawed premise that health care must be totally free for everyone.


One thing ignored in our system of free health care is a basic of human nature.  We value what we pay for.  When health care is free it becomes a right instead of a priviledge.  Over time we value it less and less.  The system has become abused by both users and providers as they have lost sight of need for the checks and balances that financial input provides.  Chiropractors have noticed all along that patients value our services when they pay for them.  Those who pay their bills actually seems to respond better to care than those who don't.  They value what they pay for.  And we as providers need to be responsive to the needs of the patient or they will withdraw their financial support for what we do.  The transfer of money is beneficial for both patient and doctor.

I'm not suggesting that Canada abandon universal health care.  What I am suggesting is that we implement some of the changes recommended in study after study to introduce a form of user pay.  Either we make changes or our the system will collapse completely.  How long can we allow the public sector and health care unions to force the maintenance of an unsustainable health care system?  The patient is dying but can be saved if the treatment is changed.