Quick Links Visit our website Who we are How we work What we do Community Events   We increasingly hear that more private for-profit health care is needed to ensure that our public health care system remains sustainable. Is this really true? The BCHC is excited to host a free public forum that will explore the motivation behind, and implications of, expanded for-profit health care in BC and Canada. Guest speakers include: Iglika Ivanova, Economist and Public Interest Researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on supporting innovation in the public health care system. Legal expert Steven Shrybman on the aggressive constitutional challenge being waged by private health care investors to open up public health care to American-style insurance companies. U.S. physician Dr. Paul Hochfeld on working within the costliest and most inequitable health care system in the world and the need for meaningful health care reform. Friday May 15th 7:00pm Firefighters Conference Centre 6515 Bonsor Street Burnaby (In the Metrotown complex) Funds will be raised for our Medicare Legal Defence Fund Common Cause Look after our NHS   This British Medical Association Campaign is raising awareness about the increasing commercialization of patient care in the UK. It wants to see the UKs National Health Service restored as a public service working co-operatively for patients, not a market of commercial businesses competing with each other. Learn more... Build a Better BC!   The Coalition to Build a Better BC has come together to protect the public, community and cultural services that are essential cornerstones of a civil society, and to oppose the cuts to services that are affecting the most vulnerable people in our communities, particularly women, children, isolated seniors, and those with the lowest incomes. Learn more... Resources Know your Medicare Rights!   Private, for-profit surgical and medical clinics are expanding across the province, and many are illegally charging patients for publicly insured surgical, physician and diagnostic services. Unfortunately, the provincial government increasingly ignores or chooses not to enforce Medicare laws that limit for-profit delivery of medically necessary services. Have you ever been asked to pay a fee for a medically necessary surgical or diagnostic procedure? Know a friend or family member who has? The BCHC has produced Know your Medicare Rights pocket cards that outline your rights under provincial health care legislation and that have instructions on filing a complaint and requesting reimbursement for unlawful out-of-pocket charges. Email or call the BCHC office to order yours today!	April 2010   It's time to speak out against cuts to medical coverage for people with disabilities Last month the Ministry of Housing and Social Development announced it would be making a number of cuts to the health and medical services available to people receiving provincial disability benefits and income assistance. This will include cuts to vital services and resources such as monthly nutritional supplements, medical coverage, dental treatment and shelter allowances. Cuts to these vital services will have very real consequences for the quality of life, dignity and health of low-income people and people with disabilities. Moreover, decline in health and well-being of those affected by these cuts will only result in increased pressure on our acute care services and greater long-term costs to the public health care system as a whole. The BC Health Coalition is calling on Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Development, to reverse these cuts immediately. Take Action! Click here to send a message to Minister Coleman voicing your concerns. Click here to download the BCHC letter to Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Development, calling for an immediate reversal of these cuts. Click here for detailed information on the cuts at the website of our community allies at the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities. Health Coalition brings together public health care advocates from across BC   These are critical times for public health care advocates. Governments at all levels continue to push for more private control of our health care system and the recent economic crisis has allowed policy makers to question governments role in guaranteeing that everyone gets universal access to timely, quality health care, regardless of income. The BCHC is excited to be hosting two important events that will allow public health care advocates to strengthen networks around the province in order to challenge privatization and support health care solutions in the public, not-for-profit sector. Our May 14th Seniors Deserve Quality Public Health Care! Forum will provide an afternoon of networking and strategizing to take action to achieve quality and accessible health care for B.C. seniors. Our May 15th Moving Medicare 2010 Regional Gathering will be an interactive all-day event that will delve deeper into the issues that matter to public health care advocates and to build skills and strategies for action that they can take back to their communities. Click here to learn more!   Ombudspersons Report: BCHC calls on government to follow through on its commitments The provincial Ombudspersons December 2009 report on seniors care in British Columbia made ten recommendations to improve the lives of seniors in B.C. To date, the Ministry of Health Services and Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport have accepted only four of these, and have committed to taking a number of steps towards fulfilling them by March 31st. These steps include: > Requiring that all residential care facility operators post the Resident Bill of Rights at the entrance of the facility for residents and visitors. > Requiring that a liaison person be designated at each facility and in each health authority to assist and respond to resident and family councils, and including timeframes for responding to resident and family councils. > Providing guidelines for all operators of residential care facilities on the types of support they should offer resident and family councils. The BCHC has sent a letter to the government requesting an update confirming that the above steps have been taken, while continuing our call for implementation of all ten of the Ombudspersons recommendations. Take Action! Click here to send a message letting our government know that you are aware of the commitments they have made and that you expect timely and full implementation of the Ombudspersons recommendations. Click here to download the BCHCs letter to the Ministries of Health Services and Healthy Living and Sport Familiarize yourself with the Ombudspersons report here (PDF). To our volunteers: Thank you!   It is National Volunteer Week and the Health Coalition would like to sincerely thank each and every one of our volunteers for their incredible contribution to our communities this year. Their donation of time, skills and efforts is invaluable and we depend on their dedication to help get our message into the community. Volunteer opportunities are available right now for those living in the Lower Mainland. If you live outside the Lower Mainland our staff can put you in contact with health care defenders in your own community. Click here to visit our website and sign up for our volunteer program today!   return to top
BC Health Coalition • 411 Dunsmuir Street Vancouver, BC V6B 1X4 P: 604-681-7945 • F: 604-681-7947 • Email: info@bchealthcoalition.ca