The Advocate View April 28, entitled Lessons in Democracy was welcome recognition of the efforts made by seniors, health, public interest and research organizations to highlight flaws in recent seniors’ pharmacare and long term care proposals by the Alberta government.
Too bad we have to go through this again and again . . . and again. Bill 11, Bill 37, the Third Way Health, Seniors’ Pharmacare, Long Term Care are all examples of government determination to privatize public health, so far fought off by citizen groups who recognize the high costs and poor care associated with private health corporations and private health insurance.
The next replacement plan for pharmacare, due to begin in 2010, is a rickety and unpredictable tiered premium charge for Albertans in different income ranges.
Faults in that plan should have been plain, even to Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert.
But the ideological blinders that allowed previous health demolition plans to go ahead seem still firmly in place with this one.
There is no shortage of reliable research and policy available to inform the government about public health that would be an improvement in service and efficiency.
Why can’t they just read what’s already known, and listen to those who have been studying quality public health care for decades?
Ken Collier
Friends of Medicare
Red Deer
