Let’s talk about private care: CMA to launch consultation series on private healthcare

Private healthcare is a hot—and touchy—topic that continues to make headlines, most recently with the British Columbia Supreme Court refusing to hear an appeal involving a failed constitutional challenge to the province’s medicare act. Yet this much-discussed subject is also often misunderstood, in large part because there isn’t enough information about the state of private healthcare in Canada. To gain better insight into private healthcare, the Canadian Medical Association is launching a series of Canada-wide consultations—through in-person events, virtual consultations and public polling starting this August. “We don’t have a good read on private healthcare in Canada,” CMA president Dr. Alika Lafontaine told the Medical Post. “We do know that private care is increasingly utilized, but we don’t know how much it’s being utilized, for what services, in what locations, whether it’s being accessed mostly by patients at a higher socioeconomic level or if some folks with lower socioeconomic status are going into debt to access this care. These are just some of the questions we’re hoping the consultations will shed light on.” Lack of knowledge about the state and impact of private healthcare in Canada has created confusion among patients and healthcare providers, he added. “There are some misconceptions that many problems in the healthcare system can be fixed by simply opening up whatever rules currently limit applications of private healthcare,” said Dr. Lafontaine. “That’s why it’s important to open up these conversations.” Read: Brittlestar: Private vs Public Healthcare The results will inform CMA policy going forward and provide a forum to contribute to public policy setting. “We do need to update our policy position on private healthcare from 2005—it needs to reflect the world we live in right now,” said Dr. Lafontaine. “I do think it’s important for physicians and medical organizations to participate in the consultations.” The consultations are scheduled to kick off at the CMA’s annual health summit, which is set for August 17 and 18, and will continue into the fall and early winter. The CMA is currently working on the questions it hopes to get answered in the consultations. Dr. Lafontaine said the association is sensitive to the fact that there are strong feelings on both sides of the public- versus private healthcare debate. “Private versus public healthcare may or may not be the actual question,” he said. “The real question may be how we can improve access for patients, or how can we improve and create healthier working conditions for healthcare providers?” Read: Private health options in Nova Scotia would strengthen public system: premier

Let’s talk about private care: CMA to launch consultation series on private healthcare

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