FOR IMEDIATE RELEASE: JANUARY 20th, 1999

1999 Federal Budget
The Time Is Now For Restoring Medicare

Kingston: The provinces want the next federal budget to replace the $6.5 billion in health cuts made in 1995. After a decade of federal cuts to public health care and downsizing of health services by the Provinces, politicians are recognizing the obvious - Canada's health care system is in peril. The federal government admits more funding is needed.

As Paul Martin prepares the next federal budget, the Liberals must restore the integrity and the viability of Medicare. The budget must reflect that health care is both a human right for the good of the public and not just another commodity for profit.

Poll results clearly show that a majority of Canadians place the highest priority on Medicare. They demand the federal government step in to ensure a system, which is accessible, comprehensive, universal, public and portable. Canadians know that the federal government has the ability to ensure a national health care system is maintained.

Our Medicare is in absolute jeopardy of becoming an American style two-tier system where access to care is determined by three factors: an individuals wealth, a person having a job with insurance benefits, and whether you are healthy enough to qualify for private insurance. Canadians do not want to go there. This makes the 1999 Budget crucial.

Clearly, our health care system has been homogenized enough to make it vulnerable to privatization, the American multi-national health care corporations are salivating over this untapped Mecca for profiteering.

One example of our vulnerability is that previously insured services are being removed from public plans. Canadians are now paying for these out of their own pockets or purchasing private insurance - if they can afford it. Some provinces are considering diverting public money into private hospitals and clinics. Hospitals have been contracting out health maintenance, food services, and cleaning which have created an environment of care giving institutions which are dangerously unclean, serving food of low nutritional value. Provincial drug plans have increased deductibles and co-payments while the number of private laboratories have dramatically increased.

Incredibly, the champions of a system based on private profit would have us believe that the time is right to pursue "freedom of choice" in health care. They embrace the idea, that we already have a two-tier system, so lets acknowledge it - a phony argument. If someone tells you that your roof is going to leak when it rains, do you say let it leak since the shingles are in bad shape anyway? Of course not.

Medicare was created based on solid evidence that a private insurance scheme would alienate far too many people without health coverage or inadequate coverage - a guarantee for profit making, but not for care. Evidence clearly shows that public health care systems are less expensive than their private competitors. More importantly, public health care systems provide quality care to all citizens on an equal basis.

Recently, the Canadian Health Coalition released a report on Medicare, outlining the ingredients, which must be achieved in the next Liberal budget. The report demands a yearly increase of $2 billion for the next five years in federal cash transfers for services covered by the Canada health Act, and an additional $2 billion to fund a national, public home care program. The government cannot legitimately claim this as a health care budget without following the standards, which are stated in the report.

This re-investment in our public health care system is quite modest, but it is absolutely critical that these changes be made now. This five-year plan restores the federal share of public spending on health to 38%. As a result, the public share of total health spending will increase to 73.5%, up from the current low of 69%. The current trend of private health expenditures eating up a growing share of health care dollars will be reversed.

When the next federal budget is unveiled, Canadians will be watching very carefully. The contents will show whether the federal Liberal government's commitment to Medicare is sincere or not.

Charlie Stock  (613) 549-6258
President,
Kingston and District Labour Council