Canadians have three times more medical debt than Australians: poll

This edition of who is saying what on public health care covers Canadians in medical debt, the high costs of private health care, a proposed patient bill of rights, ideas of retaining health care workers, and how agencies are cashing in on nursing shortages.

New poll says Canadians face more than US$6,000 in medical debt, driven by dental bills and prescription medication

“Respondents from the two Commonwealth countries, both of which have systems of universal health care, faced lower health-care debt than the U.S., where respondents owed an average of US$9,358. Americans between 45 and 54 faced the highest debt levels with 45 per cent facing outstanding medical bills… In second place, Canadians averaged US$6,022 in health-care debt, while Australians owed about a third of that, averaging US$2,082 in unpaid medical bills, the survey found,” wrote Stefan Labbé for The Squamish Chief, May 22, 2013

Privatized health care “wildly” more expensive than public health care: columnist

“Dramatic new numbers (are) showing that privatized health care is more expensive than public health care — not just by a little bit, but wildly more expensive . . .Quebec government data, released last month, show that surgeries at private clinics consistently cost the government more, often more than twice as much. And a CBC report last week revealed that our public hospitals, increasingly forced to rely on nurses supplied by private agencies, are paying those agencies up to eight times the going rate. . .” wrote Linda McQuaig in the Toronto Star, May 18, 2023

Ottawa doctor calls for a patient bill of rights

“Quintuple Aim is a health-care concept based on improved patient experience with better outcomes and lower cost (for our limited resources) that also values clinician well-being and social health equity. It is time patients and physicians clearly stated what is important and asked policymakers to listen first. So here is my attempt to start this conversation,” wrote Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, family doctor, board director of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and director for Longitudinal Leadership Curriculum at the University of Ottawa Undergraduate Medical Education, in the Ottawa Citizen, May 22, 2023

Red Deer’s health care problems are Alberta’s

“If there’s no beds (available), that means we can’t send the patients from emergency upstairs . . . If the emergency department is full of patients awaiting admission, awaiting a bed upstairs, there’s no room to see patients coming in. . .The blame for this extends across both current parties and the pre-existing party and Alberta Health Services and everybody who’s had a stake up to this point, I think has blame to share for this,” said Dr. Keith Wolstenholme, a Red Deer orthopedic surgeon, to CBC News Edmonton, May 23, 2023

Agencies cashing in on nursing shortages

“The worldwide shortage of nurses has led provinces such as Ontario to attract nurses from abroad to come and work in Canada. Is this the right solution? It takes time and money to assure foreign-trained nurses are certified and equipped to deliver safe and competent care here. Further, this practice depletes nursing resources in countries that desperately need nurses themselves,” said Sharon Kaasalainen, professor and Gladys Sharpe chair in Nursing at McMaster University, and board director for Haliburton Highlands Health Services, in the Toronto Star, May 20, 2023

Retention, better planning key to meeting P.E.I.’s need for health-care professionals

“We can’t stop for a second in terms of recruitment because there are so many people we need to bring on board… As long as we keep thinking regionally, we are never going to get out of the mess that we’re in. We have to be thinking provincially: How does this help the Island, not just what’s best for my little town,” said Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam, to CBC News PEI, May 19, 2023

National dental plan must address access and equity, say disability advocates

“I basically took every dentist in the west end and called them one after another.I couldn’t find anybody. When something like that happens… it’s depressing,” said Joanne Shimakawa, who has multiple sclerosis and depends on a wheelchair, to CBC News, May 20, 2023

Now THIS is a staffing problem!

“This should never have happened,” said Norbert Pfeiffer, the Chief Executive of the Mainz Hospital in Germany, after a doctor was fired for asking a cleaner to assist during a toe amputation to AP News, May 19, 2023