User-fee follies revisited

[CHIMO]

Quebec Premier Jean Charest says he plans to make patients pay a $25 user fee each time they see a doctor. Federal Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says that sounds fine by him. If this is the so-called adult conversation the country is planning to have on health care, we're in bad shape.

The reason? We've had this hoary, old conversation before – over and over and over again. Mike Harris suggested user fees for medicare when he won the Ontario Tory leadership in 1990. Former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien mused about them in 2001, as did Ralph Klein, then Alberta's Conservative premier, a year later.

Each one eventually dropped the idea. First, monkeying with medicare is political dynamite in Canada. But second and more important, user fees don't work.

That's the conclusion of study after study. Earlier in this decade, a Senate committee looked into medicare user fees and, indeed, was initially keen on the idea.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/791257--user-fee-follies-revisited

Mr. Michael. Don't come asking for a donation! If you now want any consideration from me I require a public statement on user fees and will you enforce the Canada Health Act?

[CHIMO]

1. Thank You

'Better late than never,' MP says as Ignatieff backtracks on health fees

And Mr. Ignatieff addressed the issue in speaking to reporters after the morning caucus meeting.

“I am saying no user fees,” he said. “I want to make it very clear that our party and I personally am a passionate defender of the Canada Health Act and we understand that provinces are facing substantial challenges facing the financing of their health care systems.

Mr. Ignatieff said Liberals will oppose any government in any province that introduces user fees. And he went further, asking why Prime Minister Stephen Harper hasn’t made a similar defence.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/better-late-than-never-mp-says-as-ignatieff-backtracks-on-health-fees/article1534561/