2006:01EI UPHOLDING THE PUBLIC HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: BANNING DUAL PRACTICE MEDICINE
Whereas:
- At present, provincial health insurance plans forbid doctors to offer services privately that they also offer under the public insurance plan; and
- The province of Alberta has now announced its intention to allow dual practice, i.e., to allow doctors to work both inside and outside the publicly funded system, and other provinces may follow suit; and
- Private remuneration will be higher than that available to doctors through the public system, with the result that patients able to pay private fees may take priority over patients covered by public health insurance; and
- Equal access to care as set out in the Canada Health Act will no longer be a reality; and
- Any parallel private system for delivering health services covered by the Canada Health Act will weaken the public health care system because it will, of necessity, draw medical personnel from the public system; therefore be it
Resolved:
- That the National Council of Women of Canada adopt as policy support for a ban on dual practice for medical acts or procedures already covered by funding under the provisions of the Canada Health Act; and be it further
- That the National Council of Women of Canada urge the Government of Canada to work with the provinces, territories, and other mandated governing bodies to uphold the principle that physicians not be allowed to work in both public and private health care systems for medical acts or procedures covered by funding under the provisions of the Canada Health Act.