Bill 11: Prologue
So, the Alberta Government finally got back to me regarding my ``comments and concerns'' with Bill 11 (the recently-proclaimed Act allowing for many more private clinics in Alberta). Here is their letter and my response.
Alberta Government
On September 28, 2000, the Health Care Protection Act was proclaimed, putting into law strong rules to protect our publicly funded health system. Since you've expressed prior interest in this matter, I thought I'd take this opportunity to give you an update on this important law.
During the discussion and debate that took place many ideas and suggestions on improving the legislation were received. After much consideration the government introduced 14 amendments to strengthen the legislation and increase protection to patients and the publicly funded health system.
In your message you asked if there is any research indicating that private surgical facilities will save money.
It is important to remember the Heath Care Protection Act is not necessarily about cost savings, but also about reducing waiting lists and providing options to regional health authorities so they can provide needed health services to Albertans in an effective and efficient manner.
As per your inquiry the government is not aware of any studies that compares the cost of contracting out certain surgical procedures with the cost of adding small surgical suites to the public system to do the same procedure. However, the government believes it is possible to improve effectiveness and efficiency through competition. The contracting process will have to make the case.
Thank you again for taking the time for submitting your comments and concerns.
I originally sent my comments and concerns over Bill 11 after thefirst reading. Now, after two additional readings and many hours ofdebate -- after the Bill has been both passed and proclaimed -- youhave the audacity to reply several months later under the guise of a``helpful update''?!
To quote the Alberta Government's own releases, ``[t]he stated goal ofthe Health Protection Act is to reduce waiting lists and increaseoverall efficiency''. If our current government's idea of a good wayto increase efficiency in a system is to -- by their own belatedadmission (``It is important to remember the Heath Care Protection Actis not necessarily about cost savings'') -- *increase costs*, ourleadership is in dire need of a high school math education (ironyintended). Delivery of ``effective and efficient'' health care doesnot include increasing the costs of doing individual surgeries; Isimply cannot believe this needs to be pointed out to you. Baselessbeliefs (``[with no evidence] the government believes it is possibleto improve effectiveness and efficiency through competition'') are nota firm foundation on which to build solid policy.
Why does the government think spending *more* on individual surgerieswill increase overall efficiency of the Alberta health care system? Igive up; you tell me. And please feel very, very free to use actualmath while outlining your convincing argument. Please don't resort to``Common Sense'' -- assume I have none.
Further, with absolutely zero evidence that the situations allowed forin Bill 11 will help increase the efficiency of our health care system(``...the government is not aware of any studies...'') and withmountains of evidence indicating the overall failure of market forcesto increase the cost-efficiency of health care delivery -- many dozensof which were pointed out to the government by the Opposition andother groups -- our government forces Bill 11 through? Excuse me if Iaccuse you of an ideological motive.
Excuse me, too, if I accuse you of deliberately gutting the healthcare system in the early 1990's by selling and imploding hospitals anddrastically cutting funding as a set-up for this third-time-luckyattempt at greatly increasing private, for-profit delivery of surgicalservices to Albertans, which you've finally admitted to me willprobably actually cost the heath care system *more*. Where was thiscandor during the many hours of debate over Bill 11? Where in your``helpful'' Bill 11 pamphlet is this pointed out as a possibility?Your Web site on the Bill points to an editorial in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine (an *EDITORIAL*!) as some sort of evidence thatBill 11 might decrease costs; I am supposed to take this as -- what?Convincing scientific indications that the situations Bill 11 allowsfor will benefit the cost-efficiency of Alberta Health? Please.
The government has apparently heard the phrase, ``if it ain't broke,don't fix it'' and turned it into, ``if it ain't broke, break it, thentry to fix it with sub-standard tools''.
You will not be receiving my vote. In fact, you will receive my bestefforts to convince others of your ineptitude. Good luck in therapidly approaching Provincial election; may the most intelligent andwell-analyzed policies win.
Yours in anger and disbelief,
Mike Warren