Alberta’s “Baby Steps” on Health Care Reform

Alberta's "Baby Steps" on Health Care Reform – A Small Step Forward

St. Andrews by-the-Sea (New Brunswick): The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today responded to the Alberta government's health care announcement, describing the reforms as "baby steps" towards more choice and accountability within the medicare system. The province will open up the state-run health care system to more competition by permitting health authorities to contract medical services out to the private sector. However, the prohibition on medical insurance remains in place.

"Canadians should have the right to spend their own money on health care services for themselves and their loved ones as recently directed by the Supreme Court of Canada in its Chaoulli ruling," stated CTF federal director John Williamson.

"Albertans are allowed to spend their own money on alcohol, tobacco, vacations, jewelry, VLTs, and fast food. But when it comes to better health care or faster health care, Alberta’s laws prohibit its residents from buying their own medical insurance to obtain better health care," added Williamson. "Unfortunately, this ban remains in place after today’s announcement in Calgary."

The Alberta Health Care Insurance Act has similar provisions to the Quebec law struck down by the Supreme Court this past June, which prevents people from spending their own after-tax dollars on their own health care. In its Chaoulli decision, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that suffering – and dying – while waiting for "non-urgent" medical care violates our right to "life, liberty and security of the person.' The court noted – on the basis of unchallenged evidence before it – that delays for surgery cause irreparable physical injury, and can even result in death. Further, living in pain for months – or years – while waiting for surgery interferes with the quality and enjoyment of life, not to mention a person's ability to earn a living.

In the most recent ranking of public health care systems by the World Health Organization, Canada ranked 30th in the world, behind France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Morocco, Singapore, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries which allow a private parallel system to co-exist alongside the public system.

"Canada, North Korea and Cuba are the only countries in the world which outlaw the freedom to spend one's own after-tax income on one's own health. It's time to amend the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act, and if necessary the Canada Health Act, to allow Albertans and other Canadians to spend their own money on the medical services and medical insurance of their choice," concluded Williamson.

John Williamson
Canadian Taxpayers Federation