Private Healthcare in Canada: YES or NO?

Millions of Canadians are waitlisted for life-changing surgeries. Millions more are waiting for life-saving cancer care. We hear our health care system is "broken". Is it time to rethink our entire way of doing things?
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[@shawnaford5540]

Wow! Life is not fair does not equal poor government choices.

[@efbourgonje]

A big fuck no to private for profit healthcare!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

An American style healthcare system in Alberta is not what we need to emulate. It's exactly what Danielle Smith and the UCP want to pursue. The UCP have treated medical professionals in Alberta with disdain. We still haven't fully recovered from Ralph Klein's senseless cuts to the public healthcare system in Alberta.

[@chadtosh6831]

Why not? If I have the money and can afford to get a knee replacement done in the states, why can’t I pay and get it done at home here in Alberta instead? Would sure take the pressure off of the public system. I can’t afford to wait for 2 years to get a knee done or a hip.

[@paulolsen6834]

everyone goes to "American Style" as the bad example. It's like Pavlovs Dog. There are more countries than Canada and the US that have different healthcare systems that are different from either of our two black and white choices that function - perhaps even better. For example - is the France system of public/private any better? Or Switzerland? Or Germany? Which country is considered to have the premier healthcare model/provision? What can we learn and apply? We do not need to reinvent the wheel. I want better healthcare, and fairness for the vast majority of people. Right now, the system needs "change" The upperclass/rich will aways have an unfair advantage - even in socialist/communist countries. UNfortunately, not everyone is EQUAL in 99% of societies around the world. (Ryan called it "Life's Not Fair") Start by listening to the front line people, and work your way up to solve this. MORE MONEY is not the answer.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

​@paulolsen6834 More senseless cuts to the public healthcare system isn't the answer. That was caused by Ralph Klein doing many very costly debacles and mistakes. The UCP have also done many very costly debacles and mistakes, and this is why they have treated the healthcare professionals in Alberta with disdain.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

​@@chadtosh6831Ralph Klein made things worse in Alberta, with his senseless cuts to the public healthcare system in Alberta. We have never recovered from that, and the UCP are compounding those problems. That's not solving anything.

[@chadtosh6831]

@@dwaynewladyka577 I’m not saying have cuts to the public system, saying let private providers open up for those that can afford it. Take the pressure off the system for the rest. Or are you too socialist for that solution??

[@Unknxwnmusicyeg]

So why stick with status quo/rhetoric that life isn't fair? To some degree, it's sad society has molded us to believe and live with that statement that life isn't fair.

[@rickveleke6966]

Including the oil subsidies, Alberta receives more than all provinces & territories from the fed yet has the lowest standards in everything. The subsidies alone are more than all the provinces and territories, combined save three. Corruption in Alberta needs accountability.

[@paulolsen6834]

privately provided/publicly paid for the vast majority private (like there already is now) for a limited amount of procedures

[@JEdwarrd]

"Life Is Not Fair"? This as UCP corruption continues to get worse.... RJ are you serious? Is this really why u have stayed in Alberta? U have a privatized- Republican mindset as you front for Progressive-humanism?

[@notthativanka5349]

Life is not fair. But you equating owning a fifth wheel with timely helathcare for all is completely crazy. Paying for healthcare isn't going to solve the root of the problem. I will gladly give up a trip to Disneyland to make sure we all can get the care we need when we need it....

[@jentlemangim7878]

Give your head a shake, adding more managers is not adding efficiency, increasing profit motivated up selling, is not reassuring to consumers, I mean patients.

[@EddieTheValiant]

Don't treat your healthcare workers like garbage maybe they will stick around.

[@danielst.pierre2555]

What an absolutely shit take, Jespo. You’re right, life isn’t fair and not everyone gets to have a fifth wheel or go to Disneyland. Suggesting necessary medical care falls in the category of “womp womp, not everyone goes to Disneyland” is pretty tone deaf and pretty callous. We’ve spent 30 years letting the provincial government (conservative governments for 26 of those 30 years) fuck with healthcare, cut spending, increase spending, create regional health boards, then centralize them, then sort of regionalize them, now they’ve broken AHS into separate entities. And you’re saying the only answer to government fuckery for 30 years is introducing private delivery? That’s what will attract doctors and nurses? I do not doubt we have the resources we need in our healthcare system. What I have zero faith in is the government and ancillary agencies ability to actually deploy those resources effectively. Not having equitable access to an MRI isn’t “boo hoo life isn’t fair” and you know it. And the wait lists reflect incompetent management of the system. Address gaps in the public system and stop diverting resources away from services to make the point. That’s what this government should be doing.

[@chadtosh6831]

With my business I can afford to be down with a bad hip or knee for two years. I’ll pay the money and go to the states and get it done within weeks. So why can’t I spend that money here and get it done at home? It’s gonna get done anyway. Sure need to go to a private/public model to get these wait lines down to reasonable times.

[@shawnaford5540]

@@chadtosh6831 Then go to the states.

[@chadtosh6831]

@@shawnaford5540 I will if I have to get surgery, but why can’t I pay for it at home? Not taking anything away from the public system, not asking for government funding.

[@jamiehjalte]

That talent will be attracted away from public system….

[@merf64]

Maybe lettings millions of more people in would help the health wait times?

[@shanereese3935]

We already pay wayyyy to much for healthcare for the service we receive. About 5K/person/year that’s without dental, vision, mental or even Physio!!!! I Think a private/public health care provider system that is insured by the province would be the best route to take

[@paddington1670]

no one is paying that much.

[@paddington1670]

i got quoted for a psychiatrist for ADHD 2026, so I paid $300 out of pocket to see one privately. OHHHH SO SCARY BIG MONEY. Get outa here with that anti Canadian health care rhetoric. We have it better than the USA PERIOD; if you want to make comparisons.