WES From Page 6 Saskatchewan's Medical Care Insurance Act The public demand for compre- hensive medical care has been spear- headed by the trade union move- ment, it was suggested, Vice-Presi- ‘dent MacKenzie said: For years, the Canadian trade union movement has advocated the establishment of a national health services plan .which would provide every individual with adequate health care, regardless of means. In this province, the trade unions have urged the enactment of legislation similar to that now in force in Saskatchewan. A national health services plan was introduced in Great Britain by a Labour Govern- ment. It proved so advantageous to the British people, that a Conserva- tive Government, originally opposed to the scheme, has not dared to re- peal the measure or even dispute its benefits. B.C. Mandate Ignored Conclusive evidence, from doctors and patients alike, regarding the value of the British scheme has been accepted by the Canadian trade unions as pointing to the need of such a scheme in our own country. Indeed, Canada and the United States are the only two large indus- trialized nations in the Western world without Health Insurance. Popular demand has caused all political parties to promise some form of health insurance. The rea- son is that the cost of any serious illness is beyond the resources of the average wage-earner, and too often brings financial tragedy. The New Democratic Party, which forms the Saskatchewan Government, has been the first political party to keep that promise. A plebiscite in British Columbia some years ago gave a mandate for Health Insurance. It was nullified by reason of the doctors’ opposition. Now the position taken by the con- trolling political interests in the medical profession in Saskatchewan makes it very clear that they are prepared to oppose any public medi- cal care plan in defiance of demo- cratic procedures as well as public demand and need. They cannot hope to turn back the march of social progress forever. Surely As Day Follows Night The spokesmen for the Saskatch- ewan doctors have aroused the Ca- nadian public to the need for com- plete and public health insurance which will come in this country as surely as day follows night. Before taking sides in this present controversy, the first and most sens- ible thing to do is to read the Sas- Seldom Has A Public Document Been More Grossly Misrepresented katchewan Medical Care Insurance Act. It is most unfortunate that many of its most severe critics have not even seen the Act. Any rational person making a careful study of the Act would find it impossible to believe the distorted statements which originate with Saskatchewan doctors. Seldom has a public docu- ment been more grossly misrepre- sented, We should also consider the back- ground of this controversy. The Medical Care Plan was first an- nounced by Premier T. C, Douglas of Saskatchewan in December, 1959. It immediately received widespread and expressed support from farm, co-operative, community and labour organizations. The election campaign that followed was fought primarily on this issue. The New Democratic Party Government then elected was given a clear-cut mandate from the electors to implement the scheme. Accordingly, at the first session of the new Legislature, the present Act was introduced and enacted. Act Incorporates All Principles The present Act incorporates the five principles for such legislation which had been endorsed by the people of Saskatchewan at the polls. These were: Prepayment: that all medical care should be paid for on an insurance basis. Universal coverage: that every _person in the province should be assured of medical care—good risks as well as bad risks. High quality of service: that the quality, distribution and availability of medical care should be improved. Public administration: that the plan should be administered by a representative body responsible to the people. Acceptability: that the plan should be acceptable, both to those provid- ing the service and to those receiving it. Before drafting the Act, the Gov- ernment established a Planning Committee on Medical Care. Three doctors were nominated by the Col- lege of Physicians and Surgeons to this Committee, which was headed by Dr. W. P. Thompson, a former head of the University of Saskatch- ewan. This Committee examined briefs from 49 organizations. It also ex- amined health insurance plans in other countries. Private meetings were held with the College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons. The Govern- ment accepted the majority report, which was approved by the three doctors on the Committee. The ma- jority report was given effect in the subsequent legislation. College Launched Public Protest At that point the spokesmen for the College launched a public pro- test, and made counter - proposals. These were: That medical care insurance be made available to Saskatchewan people through existing or new vol- untary prepaid health care agencies. That a Registration Board func- tion as an approval body for these insurance agencies. That the Government should pay the entire premium for persons deemed to be indigent. That the Government should pro- vide stated subsidies for each con- tract offered by approved agencies. That each approved agency should determine the amount of money re- quired in addition to the subsidy and charge this additional amount as a premium to be paid by sub- scribers. That patients would pay their ac- counts directly to their doctors and obtain from the approved agency a refund of a major portion of the expenses involved. The Premier met with the doctors’ spokesmen on numerous occasions in an attempt to iron out differences of opinion. Here it is interesting to note the position of the Government with regard to the doctors’ pro- posals. It was held by the Government to be unjust that beneficiaries under the scheme should be required, after paying taxes and premiums, to pay directly and completely the doctor’s bill. Although they might receive a refund, they might not receive a total refund. Not Universal Under Docifors Under the doctors’ proposals, medical care would not be universal. The Government plan provided for participation by all, thus ensuring THE SHES ABove Ape CiEAR ETS. sin This advertisement is not published or displayed by the “HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN COPYRIGHT 1329, ADVANCED MUSIC CORP, USED BY PERMISSION @ Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia. medical care at low cost, a feature which was held to be necessary. It seemed unwise to have a number of agencies competing for the public health dollar thus adding to admini- strative costs. It was also repugnant that persons without means for necessary medical care should be required to pass a means test to be identified as indi- gent persons. It was also held to be contrary to sound principles of parliamentary responsibility that millions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money should be turned over to private agencies for administration, without responsibility to the people. Doctors Claim Veto Rights The Government declared its will- ingness to refashion the Act in order to assure the doctors on the follow- ing points: There would be no interference with professional standards and pro- fessional independence. The doctors’ remuneration would be arrived at in a fair and equitable manner, With the right of appeal. Procedures would be provided for the settlement of differences of opinion respecting the administration of the Act. Regional bodies would be estab- lished to review matters which might be disputed. A member of the medical profes- sion would be appointed to overview matters affecting individual physic- jams... Additional members of the medi- cal profession would be appointed to the Medical Care Insurance Com- mission, after consultation with the College. All these points were placed in the form of a memorandum submit- ted to the doctors’ spokesmen and rejected as “wholly unacceptable”. The Doctors actually claimed the right to veto an Act of the Legis- lature. Now let us examine the plan itself from the standpoint of the average family requiring medical care insur- ance. The plan is administered by a Medical Care Insurance Commission of which two members are doctors, two are experienced in health region and municipal administration, one is a Jawyer and the Chairman is an experienced administrator. The Dep- uty Minister of Health is a non-vot- ing member. Everyone who has been resident in the province for three months is eligible for the benefits of the plan. $24 A Year Premium These benefits provide free medical, surgical, maternity, and diagnostic services, including specialist services. Every self-supporting person and family is registered, with stated ex- emptions. Families pay a premium of $24 a year, and single persons $12 a year. On this point we invite comparison with the premiums paid here in British Columbia to private agencies. No premiums are to be collected for 1962. Each person is free to request services from any doctor licenced to practice in Saskatchewan. The plan is financed from the fol- lowing sources: 28% from the personal premiums already mentioned; 50% from the 14% sales tax; 22% from income and corpora- tion tax revenues. Funds Solely For Plan Collections from tax sources are placed in the Medical Care Insur- ance Fund and used solely for medi- cal care, Private and municipal plans will continue coverage in the interim period. Benefits under the Medical Care Plan are more extensive than under the existing plans. Statement Not True Now let us examine some of the doctors’ objections, They say that the private prepaid plans are more economical. Compare the premiums paid in this province with those under the Saskatchewan Medical Care Plan. Many of us are familiar with the administration of the Medi- cal Services Association, and its costs of operation. We say that the state- ment of the doctors is not true. It is not true because when the costs of operation are spread over all the people in the province, the costs per person are automatically lowered. It is also not true that private plans provide universal coverage. We know that over twenty-five per cent of our population is excluded from private prepaid plans for the simple reason that they cannot pay the premiums. Our own industry is paying for up to six months lay-off medical coverage. Employed workers, with families, pay ten or eleven dollars a month in many instances. We know what happens when they are forced into longer periods of unemployment. How many can pay the premiums levied for the alternative MSI scheme, or those charged by insur- ance companies? Free To Choose Own Doctor It is quite untrue to state that the Saskatchewan Act interferes with the doctor - patient relationship. Every person is free to choose his own doctor. The doctor is free to treat the patient according to his professional standards without in- terference. The only difference is that the doctor's bill is paid by the Commission instead of the patient. A great deal has been said about the rights of the medical profession. We grant that these rights should be protected, and we submit that in the repeated efforts of Premier Lloyd to reach an agreement with the profession, these rights have been assured, Taxpayers Have Rights We must also consider the rights and proper expectations of the people of Saskatchewan. The Goy- ernment was elected to place such a plan in operation. The legislation was enacted after a long period of public consideration. All matters re- lating to medical judgment will be placed in the hands of the highly- skilled members of the medical pro- fession. The position of the Government is simply that the consumers of medical services, and the taxpayers, have the right to say how they shall pay their medical bills. The law concerns itself solely with the economics and administra- tion of public finance. Medical sery- ice is not an optional commodity— it is a necessity. When medical sery- ices are needed they should not, in the interests of each of us, or of all of us, be denied by any of us, Trade unionists naturally specu- late on what would be said across this country if any trade union at- tempted to intimidate and defy pub. lic authority in the irresponsible manner displayed by Saskatchewan doctors, and placed the health of the community in jeopardy, You know the answer to this question,