REGINA – Opposition New Democrats were demanding Monday that Premier Scott Moe respond by 4:30 pm that afternoon, to denounce any further move towards private American-style healthcare.
NDP Health critic Meara Conway gave that ultimatum at a news conference Monday morning at the legislature.
At that news conference, Conway expressed concerns Moe is about to follow the footsteps of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on health care.
“We're doing this as we see the Premier next door, Danielle Smith, move aggressively to sell off pieces in Alberta to the highest bidder and remove a crucial restriction on physicians who must either opt in or out of public billing,” Conway said.
As examples of what she was talking about Conway pointed to the ability to bill within the public healthcare system, as well as charge patients user fees up front — something prohibited to maintain the Canada Health Act, she said.
Conway said the restriction on billing “goes to the heart of maintaining the Canada Health Act, Sections 18 and 19, so this move by Smith likely violates that Act and puts their federal cash transfer at risk.”
She said that is why later this week, she will be writing the federal government “to raise awareness about this, as well as I've asked the Sask Party to either join me in reaching out to the Feds or to do so independently.”
Premier Moe responded to the issue in Assembly Dec. 2
In Question Period Dec. 2, NDP Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat asked Premier Scott Moe whether he would “commit right here, right now that he will not further privatize health care like Danielle Smith is doing? Yes or no?”
Moe responded that as a government “we’re going to use all of the tools and support all the initiatives that are going to provide health care services — a higher level of health care services — for patients, Mr. Speaker, regardless of where they live in the province…”
Moe also pointed to 188,000 surgeries that have been privately delivered in this province but publicly funded.
“And I’d say as a policy, what I’m hearing from the members opposite is that they would remove those 188,000 surgeries, Mr. Speaker — over 10,000 this year, as we are on track to perform 100,000 surgeries this year — the most that have ever been performed in the province’s history. But yes, part of those are going to be privately delivered but publicly funded surgeries to lower our wait-list and to provide access to those surgical theatres in a quicker fashion. Mr. Speaker, putting patients first each and every time; that is what this government is going to invest in.”
“I guess that’s a no, Mr. Speaker,” Mowat responded.
On Monday, Conway voiced concern about the answers Mowat got from Moe.
“Last week, our Deputy Leader Vicki Mowat asked Scott Moe in Question Period to outright reject any similar move here. He refused. In fact, he completely dodged the question. Since then, we've heard a lot of concern about Moe doing what he has often done, and that is copying Danielle Smith. This is not a solution to our healthcare crisis.”
In responding to questions from reporters, Conway pointed to “gradual chipping away here and there” that is already happening.
“More and more there have been with these surgical centres, especially I think in Alberta, and of course our government continues to send resources and patients to private Alberta centres for knee and hip replacements. We see women going there for mammograms. This is, though, I think, much more serious. It really strikes at the heart of the Canada Health Act, and that's why we're really trying to get a firm commitment from the Premier that he understands what's at stake here and that he will not follow suit.”
Conway also said there is “already evidence coming out of Alberta that these surgical centres have made the public wait times much longer, and it's actually been costlier for the public. We wholly reject a health care system based on the ability to pay. It should be based on need. There's no shortage of challenges in the public health care system, and we need to dig in and solve those challenges, but this is not the solution. Absolutely not.”
In an emailed response the government said the "lost and reckless NDP are desperately resorting to their old privatization scare tactics that have failed to work for them in the last five provincial elections."
"Our government has always followed the Canada Health Act and will continue to do so. Health care in Saskatchewan will remain publicly-funded. That includes delivery of some publicly-funded, privately-delivered health services which the NDP have already committed to eliminating. This would result in the cancelation of thousands of surgeries and diagnostic procedures performed in Saskatchewan each year, further increasing waitlist times.
"Our government will continue to look at every available option to deliver publicly-funded health care within the provisions of the Canada Health Act, while the NDP continue to audition for opposition in Alberta."
