Quebec Opens Door To Private Health Care

The proposals are the government's formal response to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in June that Quebeckers should be allowed to buy private medical insurance if basic medical care is not provided in a timely fashion. The province was given one year to speed up care or lift the ban on private insurance, a move that would have led to parallel systems of private and government-funded health care. "We chose to maintain the principles of the public health-care system within which the private sector can play a role," Mr. Charest said, adding that Quebec could serve as a model for the rest of the country. "Other Canadians may choose to go down that route." Under the proposals, the government promises to provide cataract, hip and knee surgery within six months of the day a specialist recommends the operation. If government-funded hospitals cannot perform the procedure within that time, the government will pay to have it done at certified private clinics affiliated with a hospital. [...] Other provinces may be tempted to follow Mr. Charest's lead. The British Columbia Speech from the Throne this week called for changes to the Canada Health Act and hinted that the use of private clinics to deliver publicly funded health care should not be ruled out. The Alberta government plans to bring in legislation to allow, among other things, people to buy private insurance for certain procedures. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060217.HEALTH17/TPStory/Front

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