| Private Clinics Fact Sheets |
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BC Health Coalition resources on private clinics: The Private Clinics' Legal Threat to Medicare (November 2009) - download this fact sheet Private for-profit surgical clinics in BC (October 2009) - download this fact sheet Private Clinics Myths and Facts (October 2009) - download this fact sheet Private Health Insurance (October 2009) - download this fact sheet
Myth: Those who can afford to pay for health care services should be able to.Fact: Promoters of for-profit health care say it should be okay for people to pay thousands of dollars at a private clinic if they need a hip replacement, knee surgery, or other treatment. But what about the people who can’t afford to pay or who, for ethical reasons, choose not to patronize for-profit providers? What about seniors, single parents, or those dealing with chronic disease? Letting a wealthy minority pay to get faster health care in the private sector contravenes the principles of the Canada Health Act by threatening equality of access to medical services. All Canadians should have equal access to quality health care. Myth: “Mixed” delivery of public and private is better.Fact: Private clinics typically charge 10 to 15 per cent more than the public sector for procedures, in order to fund administration costs and shareholder profits. Donald Copeman, a businessman who operates a private clinic in Vancouver, charges patients thousands of dollars for quicker access to family doctors and health care services. Patients at the Copeman clinic are charged an enrolment fee of $3500 and subsequent annual membership dues of $2,900. At the same time, these clinics draw doctors and other health care professionals away from the public system, which already faces shortages. The result? Longer wait times in the public system for those who can’t afford to pay high enrollment and annual fees. Myth: Allowing people to pay for private health care services will shorten wait lists in public facilities.Fact: Allowing people or governments to pay inflated prices for health care will not diminish wait times in the public system. Studies have shown that allowing private payment for services actually lengthens waiting times in the public system because doctors opt to perform services in the private sector where they are paid more. For example, in New Zealand, where doctors are allowed to work in both public and private sectors, specialists spend less than half of their time in public hospitals (where patients can wait up to 5 years for hip surgery*). The rest is spent in for-profit clinics. Given that Canada is already facing a doctor shortage, allowing physicians and other health care professionals – whose education has been subsidized by taxpayers – to move into the for-profit system will drain much-needed resources and limit public access even further. Myth: For-profit health care will not lead to an American-style system in Canada.Fact: Increased privatization will leave our public health care system vulnerable to American interests because of our trade relationship with the United States. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed between Canada and the United States is very clear – the exemption for health care, which has kept large U.S. health corporations out of Canada, applies only to the public system. Under NAFTA, Canada must give “national treatment” rights to U.S.-based companies who want to compete in health care services, if the system is opened up to for-profit interests. |
