CIMCA | ACMIC

CIMCA galvanizes resolve as Alberta abandons key health reforms

The Alberta government's decision to abandon an overhaul of its healthcare system reinforced the resolve of the Canadian Independent Medical Clinics Association to forge ahead with its Medicare-reform agenda. The Conservative caucus chose not to pursue proposed changes in the Health Policy Framework allowing physicians to operate in both public and private medicine as well as permitting private health insurance.

CIMCA Executive Vice-President Zoltan Nagy said that the vacuum of organizations pressing for Medicare changes was made apparent by the Alberta Government's decision to shelve the reforms.

"In the healthcare debate, the political landscape is dominated by public sector unions and special interest groups pushing to preserve the healthcare monopoly," said Nagy. "CIMCA was formed as a direct response to reveal the truth behind Canada's struggling healthcare system, press for legislative change and channel the public's expectation for improved healthcare delivery."

A majority of polled Canadians are leaning in favour of patient choice but lack the organization needed to speed up legislative changes. "Albertans and other Canadians are ready to accept a transformation to our fatigued Medicare system," said Nagy. "A January 2006 COMPAS poll found that over 7 out of 10 Canadians favoured the Supreme Court decision allowing supplementary private health insurance and care."

The Alberta government's Health Policy Framework received kudos from CIMCA president Dr. Brian Day and Nagy who were in Edmonton to meet with Minister of Health and Wellness Iris Evans on March 30th and present CIMCA's Saving Medicare Policy Brief. Day and Nagy encouraged the Alberta government to move forward with bold healthcare changes proposed in the Health Policy Framework.

"The Framework document identified fresh and innovative approaches to enhance the public health care system and had the potential to rapidly reduce wait lists," said Nagy. The Health Minister's plans to draft new health care legislation around "patient-focused health care, quality health services, and timely and fair access to services" were described by Nagy as "a high standard that all provinces should strive to attain."

"We applaud those provinces that have responded to the Supreme Court of Canada's criticism that governments have shown inertia. We encourage Alberta and other provinces to look to the Health Policy Framework as a point of departure for future initiatives to put our healthcare system in the pink of its health."

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