By Mark Taliano
For some time now, opponents to equitable, universal health care have been smearing proponents of Canada’s “signature” social program, Medicare, by using a corporate “communications” strategy known as “FUD”, which stands for Fear Uncertainty Doubt.
Rallies for saving public health care are becoming more common in Canada
In the U.S, the dynamic played out fairly recently, with the launch of Michael Moore’s film, SICKO. According to Wendell Potter, an American insurance industry whistleblower, the insurance industry, horrified by the poignancy of the documentary, targeted Michael Moore with a “FUD” attack.
Potter explains that the CIGNA insurance company tried to undermine Moore by portraying his as a communist, or a socialist, and as someone who was trying to undermine the American Dream.
Since a universal health care program would save American lives and give many more Americans the liberty to strive for the mythical American Dream, the tactic seems counter-intuitive.
However, the appeal to emotions is a very powerful strategy. For decades, the advertising industry has successfully associated cigarette smoking, (and a multitude of other products,) with “freedom”, and other abstractions. People not only “buy” the messages, but they buy the products as well.
Similar Psy-Ops strategies are being employed in Canada under the Harper reign.
Proponents of trajectories towards corporate health care insinuate that we can no longer afford universality, that it isn’t sustainable, that corporations can deliver better health care, that the “free” market can solve our problems, and that those who oppose corporate health care are, god forbid, “socialists” – typical FUD fare: manufacture fear, uncertainty, and doubt to undemocratically impose an agenda.
Unfortunately for Canadians, each of these accusations is baseless, (except maybe the last one) and the covert agenda is not supported by the will of the people. 86% of Canadians support publicly-funded health care.
The barely hidden agenda is to unravel Canada’s signature public health care model in favour of an aggregate of more expensive, more fragmented, and less universal corporate models.
Just as the Harper government corrupted the environmental file (in the name of “streamlining”), by drastically removing federal oversight and involvement (vacating jurisdiction), so too is it “vacating jurisdiction” of health care.
The agenda is being achieved by starving the provinces of required funding. Once the current Health Accord expires in 2014, the Harper government will reduce its Canada Health Transfers (CHT), – monies transferred from the federal government to the provinces – by$36 billion, up to the end of 2024.
The void of insufficient funding will be filled by corporate health care.
Once this is achieved, Canadians’ access to health care will be restricted, user fees will increase, insurance coverage will cost more, and patient fatalities will rise in number.
Here are some numbers.
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, public health care costs less than $180 per month per Canadian, while a private insurer in the U.S charges three times that amount for comparable service.
Even worse, according to a study by Dr. P.J Devereaux, and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, if we switch to for-profit hospitals, over 2,000 more Canadians will die needlessly each year.
What are the drivers behind this agenda which is contrary to the wishes of about 86 per cent of Canadians?
According to the Council Of Canadians (who must surely be on Harper’s “enemy list”) there are three drivers .
- * Private investors, many based in the U.S, who want to cash in on -Canadian health care (NAFTA guarantees equal treatment to U.S companies competing against our public system)
- Canadian for-profit providers and insurers
- Cash-starved provincial governments
The alternatives to this ideologically-driven agenda are fairly straightforward.
First, we need a nationalized pharmacare program. Canada is the only OECD country with universal health insurance that does not cover prescription drugs. Canada would save about $10.7 billion per year with a universal public drug plan.
Second, we need to stop the Comprehensive Economic And Trade Agreement (CETA) with Europe. Under this corporate empowerment deal, the price of pharmaceutical drugs will rise by $3 billion annually.
Finally, we need to reinvest in public health care. Currently, public health care represents about 70% of total health care; we need to increase it to 100%. We also need to increase, not decrease, Canada Health Transfers (CHT) from the federal government to the provinces.
Unfortunately, the better alternatives will not materialize under the Harper regime, but with grassroots pressure, damages to our healthcare system might at least be minimized.
Mark Taliano is a Niagara, Ontario resident and frequent contributory of news and commentary to Niagara At Large. Emal drapers@vaxxine.com to find out how you can be a contributor of news and commentary to this independent site.
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Perhaps two personal examples of what the Harper “alternative” is like (the American model) will be enlightening:
1) My grandmother lived in L.A. just opposite a private “for profit” hospital. When she collapsed and entered a coma, they seized her and proceeded to milk her for every cent possible: tubes, proceedures, you name it. When she locked her jaw and refused to accept food (sounds counter-intuitive, but there must have been some sense of self left) they fed her by tube, first by one nostril, then (due to bleeding) by the other. “We showed her”, one of the nurses remarked to my mother. Since at the time Social Security paid 80 thousand towards end of life treatment, when the bill hit that sum, they unplugged her and shipped her out. She died on the gurney going out of the door on the way to another hospital. We received a bill for $2,800, which was the amount they went over. Everything was itemized, and the items were big.
2) My mother’s cousin and her husband were DINKs… (double income no kids) and life was good for them, until the final three years of his life, when he came down with prostate cancer. They had Blue Cross, which is supposed to be the best. “The Best” was that the hospital took everything she had: Savings, house, cars, jewelry, the works. She said “I’m on what amounts to welfare. I have absolutely nothing left.”
Half of insurance company expenditures involve trying to avoid claims. This is what Harper wants for us.
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Why are people Surprised with Harper??? He was/is a disciple of the late Colin Brown a multi – millionaire Insurance person from London, Ontario. a man who spent vast sums of money in full page ads across Canada in a vain attempt to prevent the implementation of “our Universal Health Care System ” and the “Elimination of the Canadian Wheat Board”. Why the wheat board a good question but Harper did accomplished this recently… Actually if one looks deeper into Brown’s initiative they will realize this was NOT done with the welfare of you and I in mind but to perpetuate the money grab insurance companies and He were enjoying.
His, Brown’s efforts were not rewarded so He began an organization called the National Citizens Coalition, a secretive group of goons to work behind the scenes to distort truth with an aim of returning Canada back into the pockets of the Corporate Insurance industry.
It has been revealed in a novel written by a Globe and Mail Journalist Martin that it was NCC money that enabled Harper ‘s election in Calgary, a position he soon left to openly join the National Citizens Coalition administration, rising in the ranks from where he finally became involved and eventually took control of in the Reform or Alliance Party. His secretive actions with Peter MacKay basically struck the blow that eliminated the Old and to some the venerated “Progressive” Conservative Party of Canada… see David Orchard for input.
This is Harper so WHY ARE PEOPLE SURPRISED?????
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“Barely hidden agenda”…You have to be kidding. It may as well be in neon. This has been in the works for years and Harper is just the most conniving. These same ploys and scare tactics were used way back when Tommy Douglas was fighting for universal health care…used by US mega insurance. It failed then but people are so blasé now that they won’t know what hits them until it bites them in the ass. The results are obvious right here in Niagara with centralization and the new touted mega hospital which doesn’t even have enough parking for the staff! All window dressing with little substance.
Ralph Nader presented a discourse called “The Health Care Racket”. With 2012 statistics, he revealed the so called economy of privatization.eg-
Cardiac bypass – US = @$60,000. Elsewhere averages @$13,000 to $25,000.
Cataract surgery – US = @$14,000. Elsewhere @ $1300 to $3500.
CT scan – US = $1000. Canada = $350.
WOW! What a savings when using private insurance. Give me a break!
The difference is in PROFIT, paperwork, administration and just plain old overcharging for services plus computerized billing fraud and abuse.
In 2009, Americans spent @$8000 per person for health care, twice as much as France which is known for excellent health services. France, Germany, the UK, Belgium, Sweden, Japan, Taiwan and many other countries rate higher and cover all while 50 million in the US are uninsured. What a great system in the US. Privatized of course. The US rates in the 30’s between Costa Rica and Serbia. Terrific results.
Richard is right. If insurance companies can get away with it, they’ll run every test in the book just to make $$$$$ even in a hopeless case. Meanwhile, if you actually NEED treatment that will cost the company a loss, dump the patient. God forbid you’re born with something congenital or you’re screwed. It’s shameful that fund raisers are needed for injured and ill people in the US to pay medical bills so they won’t lose everything.
Harper needs a good swift kick out of politics and into the gutter where most of US will be if he is allowed to remain in power with his “so called” majority government, which is FAR from a majority.
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I just wish for once someone, other than me, would be asking the question: Why don’t we address the inefficiencies, waste and mismanagement that occurs in our health system rather than looking for the government (our tax dollars) to increase spending.
True Story – The NHS has a storeroom full of computers (100’s) that are still in their shrink wrap, never been used and taking up space. Tip of the iceberg. WHY? ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY!
We all know the new hospital is full of features (atriums, suites…..) that have nothing to do with delivering healthcare! WHY if the need for capital is so high?
Let’s talk about resource costs! My favourite rant! How many health system staffers are on the sunshine list? How many employees play the OT game to inflate their wages?
There is no accountability within our health system. Waste abounds yet people want to throw more money at the problem. Give your head a shake. Raises and benefits is where that will go!
It’s about time people start criticising the waste and not the spending. It’s about time that people become a little more creative in their solutions to these problems.
By the way – we have a three tier system in place…. Gold Plan reserved for politicians and prisoners, Silver Plan reserved for those who have the money to travel abroad for services and the Bronze Plan for the rest which gets you 1 year turnarounds on cancer tests, 4-5 month wait times to see a specialist, how about CDiff (cleaning issue) and 12 hour wait times in emergency.
Just sayin….
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Greg, as a former NHS employee, I totally agree. Every couple of years they would repave the parking lot in Welland whether it was needed or not. I saw people in stilettos and skirts on a regular basis and knew damn well they got big bucks when they were strictly paper pushers and bean counters without a clue rather than hands on staff. They would have meetings with cute little triangular sandwiches and Nanaimo bars. Rather than hire more USEFUL staff, they would cut back resulting in staff overtime costing twice as much. They hired part time if possible so they didn’t have to pay benefits to people who desperately needed them. So called “administrators” didn’t administrate but rather, when they encountered a problem, would hire expensive consultants, more pencil pushers! Staff who they fire are escorted off the property. Administrators who screw up get a golden handshake. When the proverbial shit hits the fan they set up a PR relations officer. Why not avoid the complaints in the first place by giving the best possible care? Need I go on. Does any of this make sense?
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Don’t get me started, on what I think of the NHS, they are a form of terrorism ,for all the pain and death that they have inflicted on the good people of Niagara Region. I spit nails when those who are responsible for this hell on earth, walk off with millions of our cash, as going away presents.!!!
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Linda. thank you for making me feel like I am not alone in these criticisms.
No it doesn’t make sense and sadly what we have witnessed is the tip of the iceberg. Cheers,
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