Blog

UCP Tracker: What they've done so far

December 12, 2019 9:28 AM

What have the UCP been up to since forming government in April 2019? Since forming government, the UCP has relentlessly reminded Albertans they they will deliver on their platform, in which privatization of our public health is clearly underlined. This continues to be of great concern for those of us who believe that health care should be available to all, based on need and not ability to pay.

Bookmark this page to stay up to date on critical changes and legislation affecting our public health care system.

Despite government spin, true intent of health care cuts is clear

December 04, 2019 3:12 PM

In a media article published December 4th, Steve Buick, press secretary for the Minister of Health, could not have been more clear when he explained what is happening to front-line workers:

“Almost three-quarters of all the potential impacts to health care jobs over the next three years is potential use of alternate providers – change of employer, not reduction in jobs overall.”

Lethbridge AGM 2019

November 15, 2019 11:34 AM

Friends of Medicare's Lethbridge chapter held their 2019 AGM on November 13, where we said goodbye to our long-standing president, Michael Cormican and treasurer, Bob Campbell, and elected a whole new board!

The UCP quietly continue ASLI

July 10, 2019 2:40 PM

On July 9th, 2019, without media releases or formal statements, Health Minister Shandro announced on Twitter that the Affordable Supportive Living Initiative (ASLI) will continue under the UCP government. His announcement was made with a photo op at the Silverado Seniors Village, owned by Park Place Seniors Living. This project was one of the 25 ASLI projects that under the previous government were given the green light to proceed after private operators involved in the program agreed to change their designs at the NDP’s caveat that they needed to include higher levels of care including dementia and long-term care units.

Bill 203 quashed at committee level

June 27, 2019 2:28 PM

Following Friends of Medicare's presentation to the Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Public Bills on Bill 203: An Act to Protect Public Health Care, the committee — comprised of 4 NDP and 7 UCP MLAs — voted to keep the bill out of full debate in the legislature. The bill would have protected our public health care system by prohibiting two-tier medicine, extra billing and any other form of private payment in relation to insured services, and would have banned queue jumping via cash payments.

The New Calgary Chapter

March 19, 2019 3:53 PM

On March 12, Calgary regained a Chapter of Friends of Medicare.

Welcome to the new Chapter Executive!

Let's Call it What it is: Cutting Though Kenney's Privatization Double-Speak

February 27, 2019 10:46 AM

Let's Call it What it is: Cutting Though Kenney's Privatization Double-Speak

Last week Jason Kenney’s health care announcement guaranteed "public funding" of our public health care, but stayed away from guaranteeing public delivery or an expansion of our current public system. He reiterated that he would not let “ideology” stand in their way of looking into alternate "options," including the use of private providers. There was no clarity as to what that would look like. Ideology only seems to come into play when you don’t agree with it. It is naïve to believe that political parties do not have an ideology guiding their policies.

For Friends of Medicare, it is very simple: what guides our work for a stronger public health care is the firm belief on the values that served to create our medicare system -- the values of equity and egalitarianism. If we can’t be equal when we are sick then where are we equal? These words need to mean more than political talking-points. We made a pledge over 50 years ago that no Canadian would ever die or go bankrupt because they can’t afford health care.