From an overall point of view, a two-tier health care system is one within which health services can be received from both public and private providers. There is really not a common definition of a two-tier system, and as a consequence the bickering among the leaders about supporting the one-tier system rather than a two-tier system is very confusing(1).

No matter what our leaders are saying, it is a fact that health services are not fully funded by the governments(2). We pay for drugs, for ambulance services, we have private insurance for supplemental health coverage, we pay for home care services, we pay for dental care, and we pay for nursing home services. Therefore, there is a bit of confusion in health care about defining public and private health care, and this confusion becomes more acute as our provincial premiers instead to come up with an overall redefinition of public health care funding, they ask for more money from Ottawa, and that is all!

You don't fix health care just with money. Certainly money is important, but what about redefining public health care and getting rid of the demented mentality of a powerful segment of our health care leadership? How in the world we can support a one-tier system, when we still have demented health care leaders telling us what to do, and when we don't have a consensus on what the definition of a two-tier health system is? And this is why Mr. Jean Chretien has just withdrawn a TV ad charging the Canadian Alliance of supporting a two-tier system(3). Our over aggressive Mr. Jean Chretien was being afraid of being sued by both the Canadian Alliance and the Government of Alberta, and in pulling out the ad he has implicitly admitted that we have currently a two-tier system. However, portraying himself as the saviour of medicare, Mr. Chretien has threatened to withhold health-care money from Alberta and Quebec unless they stop allowing patients to pay privately for high-tech diagnostic services that are insured under medicare. Mr. Chretien is a hypocrite, and more people are following the example of Joe Clark when he first labeled Jean Chretien a liar. In particular, Alberta Health Minister Gary Mar has stated "I think the Prime Minister is a bully and a liar(4)."

I will continue to do researches in health care, but at this time I want to list below some current examples of private health care, and we can either laugh or cry together:

• Warren Lindberg, a client of the North East Health District in Nipawin, has written a letter to The StarPhoenix (published on November 9, 2000) complaining that until September he was paying for hospital care $1,036 per month, and that beginning October 1, his monthly fee has been increased by 50% to $1,500 a month.
• The $50-million overrun for the closure of the Plains Health Centre in Regina.
• The $40-million disgrace for the establishment of the Saskatchewan Health Information Network.
• Health Canada auditors in 1997 found a 'reasonable basis' to suspect fraud in the financial practices at a $34-million native alcohol and substance-abuse program run by the Sagkeeng Solvent Treatment Centre in southern Manitoba(5). The government-financed centre began operations in 1991. Today, the staff of this centre has been taking a week-long 'professional development' cruise in the Western Caribbean at an estimated cost of $115,000.
• Saudi Arabian royals used the King's Health Centre in Toronto as a private hospital(6). The centre was founded by Ron and Loren Koval. The Kovals are now wanted over allegations they stole $100-million from the King's Health Centre.

References/endnotes

List of political and economics articles http://www.ftlcomm.com/ensign

1. Definition, National Post, November 14, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20001114/369522.html

2. Misleading to call system fully public, Richard Foot, with files from Tom Arnold, National Post, November 14, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20001114/369520.html

3. Two-tier is here, National Post, November 14, 2000 http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20001114/369202.html

4. Chrétien threatens medicare sanctions, CAMPBELL CLARK and BRIAN LAGHI, November 14, 2000 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/gam/National/20001114/UHEALMSB.html

5. Native clinic's records disappear, DAVID ROBERTS, The Globe and Mail, November 1, 2000

6. Saudis used clinic as private hospital, Chris Eby and Paul Waldie, November 2, 2000, National Post http://www.nationalpost.com/news/national/story.html?f=/stories/20001102/449358.html