Roy Romanow and Dr. David Gratzer
Troubling dispatches from the health care front
Ottawa - Friday, August 2, 2002 - by: Walter Robinson, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation
reform blueprints	While federal politics has been dominated by the boring and predictable Liberal civil war, action on the health care front is picking up. With both the Kirby Senate committee and the Romanow royal commission unveiling their health reform blueprints this fall, this summer’s health care headlines merit special attention.
26% rate Gov. good	A poll commissioned by the Canada Information Office (aka: government propaganda central) found that 53% of Canadians rank health care as their top issue. But only 26% of respondents rated Ottawa’s performance on this file as ‘good.’
suspect	So even if Mssrs. Kirby and Romanow produce substantive and workable reform packages, Ottawa’s moral suasion to implement and lead this change is highly suspect.
10% missing 30% spent non-medical	But the provinces don’t fare much better. A recent study by the Canadian Medical Association reports that the provinces spent only 60% of a $1 billion federal fund for medical equipment (set up in September 2000). Another 10% is unaccounted for and the remaining 30% was used to purchase lawnmowers, sowing machines, pressure cookers, bathtubs, and mattresses.
absurd	One can envision the conversation between a doctor and a patient. Doc:
	“I’m terribly sorry Mr. Smith, the waiting list for your MRI scan is at least 12 weeks. But take heart, our hospital’s grass now rivals the greens at Augusta and while you’re waiting for your scan you can put patches on your kids’ clothes, enjoy some great food in the cafeteria and get a good night’s rest on our new Craftmatic adjustable beds.”
opponents erode system	Yes the health care debate has become more vigourous. Sadly, those who remain oblivious to what other countries (who face the same challenges of rising drug costs, an ageing population and mammoth public expectations) mask their myopia with rhetoric aimed at others who dare to ‘think outside the box.” Consider this text from a paper authored by Liberal policy icon Tom Kent for the Caledon Institute.
	“Awareness of medicare’s failings has grown. Its critics have more scope. Those who are its opponents, wanting to erode it and perhaps destroy it, have gained strength in the media, in sections of the federal Liberal party, and especially in provincial politics of various brands.”
	Thanks Mr. Kent, is Elvis behind this conspiracy as well?
demolish	Not to be outdone, Roy Romanow used the word demolish to describe those who don’t subscribe to the present Soviet-style central planning status quo vision of medicare.
goofball solutions	As for innovative solutions such as medical savings accounts, we can only hope folks don’t place too much stock in a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association journal paper denouncing their use. A simplistic analysis conducted by University of Toronto professor Raisa Deber (and others) concludes they can’t work in Canada.
success in Asia	Ironically, this same journal also includes a report from noted author Dr. David Gratzer (a Donner prize winner) who notes medical savings accounts work in Singapore (ranked 7th by the World Health Organisation, Canada ranks in 30th place). Gratzer also points out that China is testing medical savings accounts in 40 of their major cities. South Africa as well. And medical savings accounts have been endorsed by the American Medical Association.
junk science	Mr. Romanow has commissioned 40 major research papers to aid the work of his commission. Hopefully these works will surpass the junk science level of this anti-medical savings accounts paper. Next week we’ll look at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation prescriptions for health care reform.
	Walter Robinson Federal Director
References:
	Communications Canada, Spring 2002 report on their survey work to download the complete 1.2MB PDF
	Canadian Health Coalition web site, Toronto Star January 2001 story by Thomas Walkam, Hasty diagnosis; Influential senators are quietly making a case against medicare as we know it. Their problem, though, is an absence of facts
	Canadian Medical Association web site "Whither the Medical Equipment Fund? to download the 79K PDF file that examines the spending by provincial governments of the Federal fund established to upgrade hospital equipment.
	Caledon Institute of Social Policy
	Medicare to Home and Community Research Unit welcome by Raisa Deber.
	Evelyn L. Forget, Raisa Deber, Leslie L. Roos, Medical Savings Accounts Will the reduce cost? July 23, 2002, Canadian Medical Association
	You can see and hear Dr. David Gratzer making a presentation in Winnipeg, this is a streaming video of his presention.
	Editor's Note: Dr. David Gratzer is the champion of the "Free Market" economy people and the American private medical care supporters. Medicare is primarily a political, not an economic issue with political dogma and predispositions almost always matters of "faith".