May 19, 2004
HILLARY/KERRY-CARE:
Canadian Health Care System Nears Collapse (Conrad F. Meier, 05/01/2004, The Heartland Institute)
In no-nonsense language cutting across their diverse political stripes, Canadian provincial premiers lashed out at the federal government for reducing its share of provincial health care budgets at a time when costs are rising 10 percent a year.The premiers met in February 2004 in a special session to discuss the state of health care in Canada. On March 8, the premiers of all 13 provinces and territories launched a national advertising campaign to air their concerns.
Prince Edward Island Premier Pat Binns warned, "our current system is not sustainable, the principles of the Canada Health Act are at risk, and health care as we know it will not survive the end of the decade."
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein made clear his province's willingness to consider opting out of the Canada Health Act, the single-payer enabling legislation also known as medicare.
"If Ottawa refuses to negotiate significant changes to medicare, we are willing to consider, as a province, going it alone. We are still a long way from that, but it is a consideration," Klein said.
According to many reports in the Canadian press, no other premier went as far as Klein. "If the richest province in Canada feels that the system may not be sustainable as it is, you can just imagine what it means for the rest of us," noted New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord. That "walking away" from the Canada Health Act was even discussed indicates the gravity of the situation, according to Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert.
As Michael Dukakis pointed out the other day, John Kerry is another Truman and one of Truman's ambitions was to foist such a health care system on us. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 19, 2004 8:13 AM
Kerry another Truman?
Presumably, therefore, it's Kerry by a whisker in November?
Posted by: Barry Meislin at May 19, 2004 8:31 AMThe new Liberal Ontario government, which defeated the Conservatives on promises not to raise taxes or impose healthcare costs, has just released its first budget in which it raised taxes and imposed heathcare premiums. We are shocked, of course.
Posted by: Peter B at May 19, 2004 9:25 AMYeah, but what you gonna do? Canada has essentially lived under one-party rule longer than anyone cares to remember.
Posted by: John Barrett Jr. at May 19, 2004 9:37 AMJohn:
True at the federal level (although Japan and Mexico outdo us), not at all at the provincial. A federal election is imminent. I'm going to vote and, if that doesn't work, I'll just spit!
Posted by: Peter B at May 19, 2004 9:43 AMPeter, might now be the time to launch a political movement of savvy, socially and economically responsible, but currently disenfranchised Canadian voters whose aim it is to restore the great Canadian compass to that once-great country's political classes?
Ummm, "neo-cans"?
Posted by: Barry Meislin at May 19, 2004 10:38 AMBarry:
I was going to do just that and launch the effort by having Orrin come up to give a keynote address about how we are all irredeemable statists who are going to hell in a handbasket unless we start going to church more and breeding like rabbits. But I think I'll give the Conservatives one last chance.
Posted by: Peter B at May 19, 2004 10:51 AM Here's the details on Ontario's new health tax.
Proposed Premium
Taxable Income 2004 Taxation Year 2005 and Subsequent
Taxation Years
up to $20,000 $0
$20,000 - $36,000 $300
$36,000 - $48,000 $450
$48,000 - $72,000 $600
$72,000 - $200,000 $750
more than $200,000 $900
One of the interesting things, that I was shocked at, was how regressive the tax is. It really hits lower incomes hard. (1% of income for someone earning $30k cdn, approx $21,500USD, and 1.5% of the income of someone at the minimum inocme of $20k cdn) Very surprising for the Liberals to hit a large part of their voting base like this, but the middle class is ultimately where a large part of the cash is available to be fleeced- from those least able and likely to move away from Ontario.
For me, I'll end up in the mid range, paying around $600.
More from the Ontario budget backgrounder:
Expenditures through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care now account for 45 per cent of Provincial program spending, up from 40 per cent a decade ago. Ontario spends an average of $2,441 per person for health care, up from $1,928 in 2000-01. This is about $2,000 more in additional spending per year for a family of four people. Since 2000-01 alone, total operating spending by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has increased by $7.7 billion and has grown at an average annual rate of 7.7 per cent."
The budget also cut physio, eye care and chiropractic services from what is covered by the socialized medicine. The cannibalization of the system is starting in earnest.
Left unstated, but obvious is that this new health care premium will have to rise pretty much every year in the future to try and keep up with the expanding costs.
Posted by: BC Monkey at May 19, 2004 11:35 AMBC:
And of course if they were going to do anything, they should have imposed user fees, not an across the board tax.
What no one wants to confront is how much this is all being driven by senior care. My son was hospitalized briefly last winter and I could not believe how the place was overflowing with seniors. They will not be paying much of this new tax.
Tough, tough issue.
Posted by: Peter B at May 19, 2004 11:42 AMAh, whaddaya beefing about ?
Canada has the second-largest proven oil reserves on the planet - You'll make out OK.
At the national level, at least.