OTTAWA,
ON, July 23, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical
Association (CMA) is releasing its draft policy on managing
Canada's public-private health
care balance to support equitable access to quality care. At its
heart, this proposal strongly supports a publicly funded health
care system where access to medically necessary care is based on
patients' needs and not on their ability to pay. At the same time,
it responds to the reality of our current access to care crisis and
the many funding and delivery proposals already implemented or
being considered across the country.
This draft policy is the result of the CMA's year-long series of
evidence review and consultations with Canadian health-care
providers, policy makers and the public to learn more about their
experiences with the system and generate potential solutions to the
current access to care crisis. In addition to reviewing the
literature and completing an environmental scan, more than 10,000
physicians, patients and health care providers weighed in through
public town halls, surveys and focused dialogues.
While various viewpoints were expressed on the issues, national
consensus emerged that our health care system should not favour
those who can afford to pay for services. Equity remains a bedrock
value that is shared by all – physicians, patients, and the public.
There was acknowledgement that private health providers funded by
government are helping to address gaps in certain areas of health
care, but also that in some circumstances, this occurs at the
expense of the public system. This model of privately delivered but
publicly paid health care has been operating in Canada for decades, with an increasing
reliance on this approach, as wait times and primary care doctor
shortages continue to plague the public system in many
jurisdictions.
The CMA draft policy addresses the current reality of private
care in Canada by proposing guard
rails to safeguard universal access to health care. Proposals
to improve access to care via increased private funding or private
services must consider their impact on the public system,
recognizing the scarcity of health human resources currently
available. It is essential that there is evidence to show that any
change to the public–private balance will lead to improvements in
quality care while reducing health inequities.
The CMA's draft recommendations are rooted in 7 key
principles:
- Quality
- Accountability and transparency
- Comprehensiveness
- Integration
- Clinical autonomy
- Sustainability and affordability
- Professional responsibility
"In our dialogue with thousands of health providers, patients
and caregivers, we heard a strong call for solutions that focus on
equity, access and quality of care," say Dr. Joss Reimer and Dr. Kathleen Ross, CMA presidents. "Given that the
status quo is simply not an option, our health system must adapt
and evolve with a commitment to creating accessible,
cost-effective, high-quality, sustainable solutions."
The CMA will engage in further consultations to refine the
recommendations, with the goal of finalizing them in Fall 2024.
These policy recommendations will form the basis of CMA's advocacy
to address the current challenges in accessing health care.
The draft policy can be found here.
About the CMA
The Canadian Medical
Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe
in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable,
accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of
medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and
supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy.
We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing –
guided by values of collaboration and inclusion.
SOURCE Canadian Medical Association