November 3, 2020
EDMONTON

Bill 204 threatens & undermines our voluntary public blood system

Back in March, Friends of Medicare warned Albertans that while our province was grappling with the beginnings of an unprecedented pandemic, private blood brokers were trying to find a way to profit from this dire situation. The Alberta government lobbyist registry showed that a big pharma interest group representing the private for-profit blood industry (Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association represented by Santis Health Inc), was attempting to persuade the government to repeal the Voluntary Blood Donation Act, which bans for-payment blood clinics in the province.

October 26, 2020
EDMONTON

Friends of Medicare stands in solidarity with AUPE & striking health care workers

EDMONTON
October 21, 2020

Drug coverage changes kick Albertans while they're down

AHS has proposed a new program that would shift the cost of certain medications, including those used to treat cancer and Crohn’s, onto patients, as revealed in a CBC report today. This change exemplifies this government’s cruel, shameful and short-sighted approach to saving money on the backs of sick Albertans.

The Standardizing Access to Medications for Ambulatory Patients (STAMP) program aims to reduce AHS spending by an estimated $2.3 million dollars by requiring that patients pay for the cost of their medications, as well as the costs of having them administered, such as in the case of infusions.

Legislature Fall Session marks the Fall of Fighting Back for our Public Health Care

As MLAs return to work today, Albertans can expect to continue to see steps in pursuit of this government’s ongoing agenda to privatize our public health care.

Since the release of the UCP’s 2019 election platform, this government has remained steadfast in that goal. The release of the McKinnon report back in September 2019, followed by the AHS Performance Review in February, provided the ideological fodder, as both made recommendations for sweeping changes to our health care system through major privatization. The government has been quick to act on those recommendations, introducing legislative changes that have provided the legal framework for the privatization of our medical laboratories, in-hospital support services, and surgeries, among others, as well as the announcement that upwards of 11,000 people will be laid off from AHS. This past weekend at the UCP AGM, we saw members narrowly pass a policy which directs the party to pursue a ‘privately funded and privately managed health-care system’ in Alberta.

October 13, 2020
EDMONTON

Kenney & his government cannot be trusted with our public health care system

Today’s release of the AHS Performance Review Proposed Implementation Plan is, in short, the biggest betrayal of Albertans by any government.

“Once again, this Premier and his government are callously advancing plans to suit their aggressive privatization agenda in health care,” says Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. “Kenney’s UCP government continues to demonstrate nothing but disdain for the women and men working on health care’s front lines. Considering how central they have proven themselves in the province’s pandemic response, this whole plan is an insult to health care workers, and it’s a betrayal of the patients who depend on them.”

Seniors Deserve Better this International Day of Older Persons

This October 1st marks the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year, as we contend with the ongoing upheaval caused by the COVID-19 global health crisis, we must also bear witness to the suffering caused by the long-standing failures of our seniors’ care system.

September 29, 2020
EDMONTON (Canada-wide)

Throne Speech: Premiers Should Not Play Partisan Politics with Health Care; Concrete Commitments Needed From Provincial & Federal Governments

Government must take responsibility for the outcome of Alberta’s other ongoing public health emergency

Yesterday, while the media was focused on the federal throne speech, the Alberta government quietly released their much anticipated Opioid Response Surveillance quarterly report. Harm reduction advocates, including those whose lives have been personally impacted by overdose, have been pleading for Jason Luan, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to release the latest report since the quarter ended in June. Now that it is publicly available, the report confirms what those close to the issue have feared. The most up-to-date data shows that 449 people have died from apparent unintentional opioid poisoning in just the first six months of 2020.

September 17, 2020
EDMONTON

Sawhney must protect the health of Albertans with disabilities and stop privatization

Friends of Medicare are calling on Minister of Community and Social Services Rajan Sawhney to listen to the advice of guardians and a physiotherapist and stop any movement towards privatization of disability services.