
Private health care has role in Quebec, says Charest CBC \|\| February 17, 2006 Related - Liberal Senator reveals hypocrisy on Universal Public Healthcare Related - Conservatives want fully privatized healthcare The private sector can play a role in Quebec's health-care system, but the province is still committed to preserving the public system, says Premier Jean Charest. Charest was responding on Thursday to a Supreme Court ruling last June that said banning private insurance for some health-care services was unconstitutional under the Quebec Charter of Rights. At a news conference, the premier and Health Minister Philippe Couillard also said the province plans to introduce guaranteed wait times for certain medical procedures. The plan was developed after public consultations were held across the province. Charest is touting the plan as the beginning of a "new era" for health care, "based on values that we hold dear." The private sector can play a complementary role in meeting those guarantees, said the premier. "We feel the new way to have the private sector contribute will be at the service of the public. It will be a tool for solidarity." Quebec will introduce guaranteed wait times for procedures including some radiation treatments and cardiac surgery, as well as knee and hip replacements and cataract operations. For instance, any Quebecer who has to wait three months over the six-month period would get help from the province to speed things up, such as having the cost covered in an outpatient clinic. If the wait goes beyond nine months, the province would pay for the operation to be carried out either outside the province or even in another country. Under the proposed plan, Quebecers would also be able to take out private insurance policies to cover such procedures as knee or hip replacements, where the operation could be carried out in a private clinic. The plan would forbid doctors from working in both the public and private systems. After the top court handed down its ruling last year, Charest applied for a delay in implementing any changes to the Quebec system, saying they could result in chaos. While the ruling only has an impact on Quebec, all sides of the health-care debate are watching to see how far the province will go to open the door to private medicine. Doctor who challenged monopoly is disappointed Jacques Chaoulli, the physician who challenged Quebec's monopoly on health insurance, expressed dissatisfaction with the limitations on private care, saying "patients will continue to suffer and die" because of waiting lists. Chaoulli also took issue with the ban on doctors working in both systems. He said neither the Canada Health Act nor the Supreme Court decision prevents doctors who work in the public system from also working one day a week, for example, in a private clinic. All that is forbidden, he said, is billing both the public system and private insurance at the same time for a procedure. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com Chaoulli had expressed hope that the province would endorse a broad mix of public and private health care. Under his vision, any patient with the money to buy extra insurance would be fast-tracked through a private network of clinics. Ruling not carte blanche to private care: expert But Marie-Claude Premont, an expert in health-care law, says there is no proof Chaoulli's plan would free up the waiting lists in public hospitals. Premont also believes that Chaoulli is misinterpreting the court ruling. "The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada is not a carte blanche for private insurance in health care in Quebec," said Premont. The McGill University professor, who has studied the ruling for months, says it allows doctors who have opted out of the public system to be paid through private insurance schemes. In Quebec, that is 100 physicians out of more than 18,000. If Couillard goes beyond that, she says, he's in dangerous political territory. "The current government was elected with strong promises to reinforce the public system and not to weaken it, and therefore we should be expecting a plan that goes in that direction," said Premont. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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Private health care has role in Quebec, says Charest

CBC || February 17, 2006

Related - Liberal Senator reveals hypocrisy on Universal Public Healthcare

Related - Conservatives want fully privatized healthcare

The private sector can play a role in Quebec's health-care system, but the province is still committed to preserving the public system, says Premier Jean Charest.

Charest was responding on Thursday to a Supreme Court ruling last June that said banning private insurance for some health-care services was unconstitutional under the Quebec Charter of Rights.

At a news conference, the premier and Health Minister Philippe Couillard also said the province plans to introduce guaranteed wait times for certain medical procedures.

The plan was developed after public consultations were held across the province.

Charest is touting the plan as the beginning of a "new era" for health care, "based on values that we hold dear."

The private sector can play a complementary role in meeting those guarantees, said the premier.

"We feel the new way to have the private sector contribute will be at the service of the public. It will be a tool for solidarity."

Quebec will introduce guaranteed wait times for procedures including some radiation treatments and cardiac surgery, as well as knee and hip replacements and cataract operations.

For instance, any Quebecer who has to wait three months over the six-month period would get help from the province to speed things up, such as having the cost covered in an outpatient clinic.

If the wait goes beyond nine months, the province would pay for the operation to be carried out either outside the province or even in another country.

Under the proposed plan, Quebecers would also be able to take out private insurance policies to cover such procedures as knee or hip replacements, where the operation could be carried out in a private clinic.

The plan would forbid doctors from working in both the public and private systems.

After the top court handed down its ruling last year, Charest applied for a delay in implementing any changes to the Quebec system, saying they could result in chaos.

While the ruling only has an impact on Quebec, all sides of the health-care debate are watching to see how far the province will go to open the door to private medicine.

Doctor who challenged monopoly is disappointed

Jacques Chaoulli, the physician who challenged Quebec's monopoly on health insurance, expressed dissatisfaction with the limitations on private care, saying "patients will continue to suffer and die" because of waiting lists.

Chaoulli also took issue with the ban on doctors working in both systems. He said neither the Canada Health Act nor the Supreme Court decision prevents doctors who work in the public system from also working one day a week, for example, in a private clinic.

All that is forbidden, he said, is billing both the public system and private insurance at the same time for a procedure.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

Chaoulli had expressed hope that the province would endorse a broad mix of public and private health care.

Under his vision, any patient with the money to buy extra insurance would be fast-tracked through a private network of clinics.

Ruling not carte blanche to private care: expert

But Marie-Claude Premont, an expert in health-care law, says there is no proof Chaoulli's plan would free up the waiting lists in public hospitals.

Premont also believes that Chaoulli is misinterpreting the court ruling.

"The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada is not a carte blanche for private insurance in health care in Quebec," said Premont.

The McGill University professor, who has studied the ruling for months, says it allows doctors who have opted out of the public system to be paid through private insurance schemes. In Quebec, that is 100 physicians out of more than 18,000.

If Couillard goes beyond that, she says, he's in dangerous political territory.

"The current government was elected with strong promises to reinforce the public system and not to weaken it, and therefore we should be expecting a plan that goes in that direction," said Premont.

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