Alberta backs off private medicare blueprint
Ottawa opposed Third Way strategy
By DAWN WALTON AND BILL CURRY
Originally Published 04/21/06
CALGARY and OTTAWA - Bowing to public pressure at home and opposition in Ottawa, Alberta has shelved its controversial health-care reforms that would have allowed doctors to collect paycheques in both the private and public systems and patients to buy private insurance.
An “aggressive” work-force policy to bring more health-care workers to Alberta cities and rural areas to alleviate waiting lists will be adopted rather than allowing patients to pay for certain services to speed access, the province announced yesterday.
“The most important thing is to build a stronger public health-care system where an Albertan’s ability to pay will never influence the type of care or the design of care that they can receive,” Health Minister Iris Evans told reporters in Calgary after an all day caucus meeting.
Both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and federal Health Minister Tony Clement had expressed concern in recent weeks that Alberta’s proposed reforms, which Premier Ralph Klein had dubbed the Third Way, could violate the Canada Health Act — something Ottawa could address by withholding transfer payments.
Mr. Klein took the federal government to task yesterday, saying it offered no alternatives. He said those who opposed the province’s plan had confused the public about what it would mean.
“It has always been expedient to be the protector of medicare as we know it today,” he said.
Alberta will move ahead with a Health Care Assurance Act this spring, which is a framework for future health-care legislation. It will also call for more consultation with Albertans, which could revive the debate, Ms. Evans said.
But that may not happen for another year as Alberta’s Progressive Conservative Party prepares to pick a new leader this fall.
Mr. Klein said he is disappointed he will not be able to see the matter through because he will be out as premier by the end of the year.
“It’s being postponed, but someone is going to have to deal with it,” he said. When asked what advice he had for those who take up the torch for medicare reform, he replied, “Good luck.”
Ms. Evans insisted that the Third Way is not dead. “Far from being dead, it’s alive, and we have created an opportunity for Albertans to give us even more feedback,” she said.
Ms. Evans, who met with Mr. Clement this week, said he left the door “slightly ajar” for more discussions about potential reforms.
Mr. Clement could not be reached yesterday, but an official in the Prime Minister’s Office said Mr. Harper had made Ottawa’s position clear on the Third Way proposal.
“The Prime Minister was clear in a private meeting he had with Premier Klein that anything Alberta wishes to propose to reform health care is great as long as it respects the Canada Health Act,” he said.
The change of heart was hailed as a victory by those opposed to the Third Way.
The province received more than 4,000 letters and 2,000 calls on the reforms — the vast majority of them expressing concern about two-tier medicine and the prospect of paying for services.
“This is clearly a defeat for the government,” said Alberta’s New Democratic Leader Brian Mason. “. . . I think Iris Evans pushed very hard for this legislation. The Premier pushed for the legislation and the people of Alberta pushed back.”
Harvey Voogd, co-ordinator of the Friends of Medicare, which has been lobbying against the Third Way, said dramatic reforms died when Mr. Klein’s party embarrassed him with only 55 per cent support of his leadership.
Karl Belanger, the press secretary to federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, expressed cautious optimism: “It sounds like it could come back in a year, so we will keep pushing for a fully public health-care system.”
Mr. Layton had demanded a federal law banning doctors from operating in both the public and private systems as the price for his continued support of the Liberal government last fall. When a deal could not be reached, the NDP joined the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives and triggered a federal election.
A spokesperson for federal Liberal Leader Bill Graham was pleased with the decision, adding that innovation in health must take place within the framework of a universal health-care system.
Ms. Evans said Alberta is still looking for ways to cut costs to its health-care spending, which currently eats up more than a third of the province’s budget, but acknowledges that focusing on recruitment could cost the province even more.
The province figures it will spend $10.3-billion on health care in 2006-07, which is $735-million or 7.7 per cent more than the government expected it would spend during the last fiscal year.
Since 1995-96, health spending in Alberta has grown by an average of 10 per cent a year. Now, itboasts among the country’s highest per capita spending for health care.
Alberta Health and Wellness hopes to rein in costs over three years through reforms, but it expects another 7.7 per cent hike in program spending in 2007-08, before it cuts the spending increase to 3.7 per cent in fiscal 2008-09.