The British Columbia government is hoping to sell surgeries to people from outside the province, but has no plans to allow British Columbians to pay for quicker access, says the minister responsible.
“The principle is whether we can generate revenue with our system similar to what we do in post-secondary education,” said health minister Kevin Falcon.
In October there was talk of selling B.C. surgeries to the Saskatchewan government for patients from that province, a proposal that died after Saskatchewan politicians balked at paying the “premium” Falcon said was needed to make it happen.
Today Falcon said on CKNW radio that he was still hoping to sell access to B.C. health services. “If I can generate revenue that will mean British Columbians get faster, quicker, better service by capitalizing on the outstanding skill sets that we have in this province,” he said. “I think we ought to look at that, and we are looking at that.”
Later Falcon told reporters at the legislature that the province might charge visitors four or five times what it costs to provide a surgery, using facilities at times when they are available, such as on evenings or weekends. The money would be put back into providing health services for British Columbians, he said.
“This is, as usual, not thought through and not very thoughtful on the part of the minister,” said NDP health critic Adrian Dix. “What he's talking about is organized queue jumping, organized two-tier health care.”
People of B.C. paid for the hospitals and the beds and shouldn't be forced to wait longer for surgeries so the minister can sell them to people from elsewhere, said Dix.
It's a short step from charging visitors for surgeries to also selling surgeries to British Columbians who are willing to pay, said Dix, noting the practice is prohibited under federal laws.
Asked what's stopping him from offering surgery-for-pay to British Columbians, Falcon said, “That would be a violation of the Canada Health Act. You can not charge people for medically necessary services.”
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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G West
2 years ago
Once again
A BC Liberal Cabinet minister manages to wedge his foot in his mouth while talking.
What is wrong with this guy?
I thought he couldn't get much lower than complaining about being delayed while the police dealt with a suicide threat on the 2nd Narrows Bridge.
I was obviously wrong.
Skywalker
2 years ago
G West
Regarding Falcon and just considering what his proposal means for the access to surgery for BC residents I quote Bugs, "What a moroon!"
Whiskey River
2 years ago
What Falcon proposes is illegal
The Canada health prohibits selling public healthcare...It is like jumpimg the Que..
For a complete wrap up and assessment,read this.
http://powellriverpersuader.blogspot.com/2009/11/medical-tourism-and-media-three-blind.html
ASKBiblitz.com
2 years ago
Quid pro quo
Void ab initio. Nemo dat quod non habet. Means he can't give away what is not his to give!
I know we have no fraud investigation anywhere in this province but surely there are a few attys at the AG's office who will advise this idiot!
Oh, pls don't tell me we'll have to sue him so that taxpayers foot the bill coming and going? .. Pls?
circle A
2 years ago
What an imbezzle...
what an ultra-maroon. This moronic bufoon has not improved since him and campbell pulled that sleazy stunt of shoveling fake money from the back of a truck ten years ago, and then as now our the local bush league dimwits who represent what passes for media give these thieves a free ride by not even pointing out how immoral an idea they`ve cooked up.
DJT
2 years ago
?
This idea is so inane it's unbelievable though, sadly, not surprising coming from Falcon. I thought we were paying politicians big bucks to attract the "brightest and the best"? Sheesh.
Grania
2 years ago
Get rid of him
Where is Falcon from...what riding? Please...voters from that riding...get your recall petition going! This jerk needs to go asap!
Dan the socialist
2 years ago
Seems everyone else gets
Seems everyone else gets better health care than people in BC.
Why are facilities sitting idle when there are huge waiting lists from joint replacements to elective surgeries?
Don't forget Campbell cuts surgeries for British Columbians, offers them to Saskatchewan. http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Health/2009/10/26/SaskaSurgery/index.html
Why does Campbell hate BC people so much? Yet I guess the bigger question is why the few that manage to show up and vote keep voting him in? I would say partially due to no alternative and the NDP being so disorganised then the rich, big business owners and religious vote for them too.
Dan the socialist
2 years ago
Where is Falcon from...what
Where is Falcon from...what riding? Please...voters from that riding...get your recall petition going! This jerk needs to go asap!
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In the Elite/rich area of Surrey so he will be safe.
freebear
2 years ago
What a marooon!
Imagine we need money to fix and build new highways/ferries.
So we say all visitors will pay road tolls (to pay for maintenance and new road) when travelling in BC.
The benefit the visitors receive is that only visitors will be served by the highways and roads (no traffic benefit).
The benefit BCer's receive is that the roads are mainatained and built using road tolls from visitors.
Problem: BCer's can not use highways and roads while tourists are visiting!
Great idea Minister Moron!
freebear
2 years ago
Why should a for profit
Why should a for profit health scheme get to use not for profit hospitals?
If and when private for profit healthcare comes; they can build and use their own hospital(s)!
If private healthcare is cheaper (I doubt) its only because they are given a free hospital that was paid for by taxpayers!
Despite all this, it is an insane idea!
No BCer use a hospital this year and we will run an assembly line of health tourists through, who will pay a high price.
So a year from now we can re-open hospitals to BCers with the Money Falcon made!
Proof positive that higher MLA salaries does not mean smarter MLAs!
snert
2 years ago
This is a grand idea.
As long as waiting lists are reduced to the point where they are insignificant.
Otherwise, I can see a court challenge coming if outsiders are perceived as getting preferential treatment at taxpayer funded facilities.
G West
2 years ago
Actually no it's not
If there were no waiting lists it would be a case of building in excess capacity - at extremely high cost - merely to service a foreign market. This is a really dumb idea from a person, Falcon, who has nothing BUT dumb ideas.
One of the main problems in health care today is not lack of facilities but an inefficient and counter productive use of the existing equipment - especially diagnostic services.
In fact, because technical resources are not being properly allocated and staffed now, there have been growing waiting lists and an increase in the downtime on existing machines.
Experienced diagnosticians and radiologists in many health districts are now working at less than their optimum effective capacity because a decision has been made to reduce the time the machines are up and running.
Quotas have been reduced - not increased, in an effort to control the budget. That kind of thing is fine when the 'product' is widgets - it's insane if we're talking about human lives.
Furthermore, any savings from delay is illusory because the added costs - in both pain and extended morbidity (if not mortality) is more costly to the public system in the long run.
The idea of trying to make a 'profit' out of health care is the immoral core of what's wrong with American health care now - adopting their stupidity just at the point where Americans seem ready to leave at least some of that stuff behind is just madness.
Whiskey River
2 years ago
Falcon`s idea would never work
Here`s the deal,wealthy Americans already have access to the best healthcare in the US...
The Americans that travel far and wide for medical services,transplants,bipasses,reconstructive surgery..
They travel to places like India, and the reason is simple,the procedure may cost 100,000$ 100K in the USA..Where as the people travelling to India for the same procedure are doing it for one reason....
To get the surgery done DIRT CHEAP,like say 10,000$ 10K
So Americans won`t be travelling here to spend an equal amount as the price at home.
Falcon is a moron...Because Falcon proposes charging them double or triple our cost of providing the service.
Sorry Falcon..Economics 101
Cheers
snert
2 years ago
Well I guess
that if you wish to adopt a 'damned if you do and damned if you don't' outlook it certainly wouldn't work.
You're right about the rest though.
Funny, I just heard of a doctor that spends one week in BC and the next on the east coast. Maybe that's something to look at, maybe? Be interesting to see the billings for his services.
zalm
2 years ago
Billings
"Be interesting to see the billings for his services."
Yes, it would.
http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/legislation/pdf/MSC_Financial_Statement_2009_complete.pdf
Excuse me, doctor - your name please?