News
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Federal Budget Expansion of Dental Coverage Good News for Alberta Children
More work still needed on universal pharmacare, long-term care standards, paid sick leave, the drug poisoning crisis, and protecting public health care in Alberta
This afternoon the federal government tabled their budget for 2022-2023. It included items laid out in the Confidence and Supply Agreement with the NDP, most notably: adding dental care coverage for children 12 and under this year.
“Dental care is health care. Yet far too many Albertans have long been forced to forego necessary dental procedures due to cost-related barriers to access, and entrenched economic inequality,” said Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “The dental care commitment in today’s federal budget is good news for Alberta children, and we’re hopeful this will be the first step towards truly universal public dental care for all.”
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Instability in our health care leadership is the last thing Albertans need
April 4, 2022
EDMONTONInstability in our health care leadership is the last thing Albertans need
Friends of Medicare deeply concerned that Dr. Yiu’s removal precedes the acceleration of the government’s privatization agenda
This morning, Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced the removal of Dr. Verna Yiu from her role as president and CEO. CTV News has since confirmed she was fired. There was a year left in Dr. Yiu’s contract, and the board did not offer any reason for her removal.
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Continuing Care Act falls short
Bill 11: Continuing Care Act does nothing to improve the quality of continuing care in Alberta
The Continuing Care Act, tabled yesterday by the UCP government, is woefully lacking in any meaningful changes to improve Alberta’s continuing care system. The Bill follows the government’s Facility-Based Continuing Care Review, and consolidates 15 pieces of current legislation that oversee our continuing care system.
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Government continues attacks on AB health care workers
March 28, 2022EDMONTONGovernment continues attacks on AB health care workers
Front-line Workers Deserve our Respect and Solidarity, not Wage Freezes and Rollbacks
Over the weekend, Albertans learned that AUPE General Support Services members received an insulting package of bargaining proposals, including four years of 0% wage increases, as well as a variety of rollbacks to their collective agreement.
Just weeks after the government boasted about balancing the budget at the expense of our public services, they are forging ahead with their short-sighted austerity agenda by undermining front-line staff in an already overstretched health care system.
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Friends of Medicare Reaction to the Federal Confidence and Supply Agreement
Today’s agreement between the Liberals and NDP includes concrete action on universal Pharmacare and dental care in Canada
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Government must stop ignoring drug poisoning crisis
An evidence-based approach that includes harm reduction is urgently needed to save lives in Alberta
Despite 2021 being Alberta's deadliest year yet for fatal drug poisoning, today’s post-budget government release on their model for addiction and mental health continues to ignore the vital importance of harm reduction.
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Health Care Workers Deserve Our Respect and Support, not Wage Rollbacks
March 14, 2022
EDMONTONHealth Care Workers Deserve Our Respect and Support, not Wage Rollbacks
The Alberta Government is seeking wage rollbacks as high as 10.93% in bargaining with the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA)
Heading into the weekend, Albertans learned on Twitter of the UCP’s shameful bargaining proposal to cut the wages of frontline health care workers, with proposed rollbacks as high as 10.93%.
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FOM Statement on IWD 2022
Alberta still has a long way to go to achieve gender equality
Gender remains an important social determinant of health—We know that gender-based discrimination and ongoing gender inequality in our society results in increased health risks and poorer outcomes. Far too many Albertans still do not have proper access to reproductive and sexual health care, or gender-affirming health care.
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Alberta seniors deserve better than to be treated as commodities
This afternoon, the Alberta government announced their latest expenditures in our continuing care system. Unsurprisingly, as per the recommendations made in the Facility-Based Continuing Care review, funding will be allocated to further privatize seniors’ care in Alberta. -
FOM's Response to Budget 2022
Once again, the government is pushing privatization instead of investing in strengthening our public health care when we need it most
Further privatization in health care was the predictable theme of today’s provincial budget. A keystone item was the government following through on their stated plan to greatly expand private surgical services in Alberta, by accelerating the Alberta Surgical Initiative.
“The government’s budget was more of the same. It presents very little in terms of new plans for our health care, instead defaulting to the same old tired strategy of cuts and privatization. It was their plan all along, it was merely delayed as a result of the pandemic,’ said Chris Gallaway Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. “The UCP government’s unprecedented pursuit of privatization throughout this health care budget represents the abandonment of Albertans and our health care system when we need it most.”