Private sector offers health-care hope

As you curse the family doctor shortage, consider the following list of health professionals: Dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, physiotherapists, massage therapists, dental hygienists, naturopaths, acupuncturists, pharmacists, psychologists, occupational therapists, opticians, audiologists and dieticians. I could go on. None of these is in short supply. All practise mostly outside of the publicly funded health-care system.

Now for a shorter list: Physicians, nurses, operating-room hours, hospital beds, medical diagnostic tests. All are in short supply, all are publicly funded under B.C.’s Medical Services Plan pursuant to the Canada Health Act.

In each case, the government (with help from professional associations), rather than market forces, controls the sum of money made available to spend on these medical services. The government, in other words, controls the supply.

MSP does its job well when one is seriously ill or injured, and in managing most chronic conditions. You won’t become impoverished by accessing essential medical care in Canada.

Yet MSP is seriously out of step with the rest of society. If I have the means, I can buy a house, a car, good food, clothing, a higher education, entertainment or take a nice vacation.

Give me a hernia or a bum hip, on the other hand, and my money becomes suddenly worthless. The medical services might be there; I just can’t purchase them.

Medicare, as expected, has been a great leveller in society — but, lately, has also become a great spoiler.

In this observation, I am not concerned with the very wealthy among us. They usually find a way to get what they want. My focus is the vast majority of us situated between the very wealthy and the very poor.

Normally, a shortage of some good or service will lead to one or a combination of three results: increased supply, reduced demand, or rationing. Health care is already rationed, and reduced demand is not likely.

It’s time to allow and encourage the private sector to provide elective surgeries and also to train health-care professionals, including doctors and nurses. This could even be done offshore to Canadian standards. We need to greatly increase the supply using innovative ideas and new sources of private-sector funding.

Brian Mason Victoria