System needs work, but does it need more funding?

The Castonguay task force on health funding released its report Tuesday morning. Some of the key points made include a larger role for the private sector in health care, such as clinics where families will pay an annual fee to see their doctor. Those who are financially able to would be asked to fork over $50 to $100 a year to help fund the private clinics. The return on the private system is that increased access to family doctors would ease the constant strain on emergency wards.

One of the more controversial proposals is to allow doctors to practise in both private and public systems, something the health minister opposes, but may be a necessary compromise to keep doctors from leaving the province.

The report also suggests Quebecers be permitted to buy private insurance for all medical services. The province has had to experiment with private services following a Supreme Court decision in 2005, which ruled restrictions in Canada's health laws were unconstitutional. Private insurance can now also pay for some procedures, like cataract surgeries. Recently, a Montreal hospital struck a deal with a private clinic for day surgeries. The shift to private care has started, but while it does need to play a role, Quebec cannot abandon the public system. It is clear a mixed system will become the norm, very soon.

The 300-page report also calls for an increase in the sales tax and user fees to help fund the health-care system, which has become a bigger portion of the provincial budget in recent years. So, while Quebec has been spending more, the system still hasn't seen any major improvements. It is clear that increasing funding is not the complete solution. In addition, Quebecers are already heavily taxed. The government should look at eliminating waste and redundancies in the system before simply forcing us to pay more.