Re: Making private health care illegal again (B.C. Views, July 15)
Thank you, Tom Fletcher for illuminating reasons why forbidding private supply of medical care services is a bad idea.
Of course provincial premiers have illustrated the waiting list problem by going to the U.S. to get treatment. And WorkSafe BC pays for fast treatment to get injured workers back in action to reduce its total costs. Otherwise the price for being unable to work due slow medical service in Canada is paid by private employers, private insurers, and the individual customer losing income.
For example, one person was sick for weeks from what turned out to be a deteriorating gall bladder, diagnosis took a long time (noting wait times for imaging and tests other than blood).
Misuse of the U.S. program name Medicare is not only sloppy in itself, but an inaccurate parallel. Medicare is an earned benefit from contributions while employed – just like Canada Pension and Social Security, whereas Medicaid is a taxpayer-funded benefit akin to Canada’s Old Age Supplement. Oh, right, government gets the mentality notorious for not doing their homework to write laws – activists.
Voters should find better candidates and help elect them: a federal election is not far away, a B.C. one will come faster than we realize and a municipal one is looming (which could give good candidates experience for the future).
Keith Sketchley
Saanich
