News

  • SENDING FERTILITY PATIENTS TO PRIVATE CARE IS THE WRONG DIRECTION

    Nov 3
    Edmonton
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    SENDING FERTILITY PATIENTS TO PRIVATE CARE IS THE WRONG DIRECTION

    Friends of Medicare are calling for a reversal of the AHS decision to terminate services at the Edmonton Regional Fertility and Women's Endocrine Clinic at Edmonton's Lois Hole Hospital.

    News broke November 2 via twitter that the clinic will no longer offer services such as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), as well as donor eggs and sperm programs. Patients will now be referred to private clinics in Edmonton or Calgary for those services.

  • RESIDENT AND FAMILY COUNCILS ACT A WELCOME STEP IN PROVIDING PATIENTS A VOICE

    NOV 1
    EDMONTON

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    RESIDENT AND FAMILY COUNCILS ACT A WELCOME STEP IN PROVIDING PATIENTS A VOICE

    Friends of Medicare are applauding Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman for introducing Bill 22 the Resident and Family Councils Act.

    "Resident and Family Councils are a great tool to give voice to residents of continuing care facilities and their loved ones," said Executive Director Sandra Azocar. "Friends of Medicare have been calling for this for years and it is great to see this step being taken."

  • How Will Provinces Cope with $31 Billion Cut

    MEDIA RELEASE
    OCT 19, 2017
    EDMONTON

    The Elephant at the Health Ministers' Meetings: How Will Provinces Cope with $31 Billion Cut

    New National Report Outlines the Huge Cost of the Failed Health Accord

     

    As Health Ministers from across Canada meet in Edmonton this week, Canada's Health Coalitions released a report showing the recent bilateral health schemes pushed through by the Trudeau government have come at a huge cost.  The report "Health Accord Breakdown: Costs and Consequences of the Failed 2016/17 Negotiations" calculates that the failure of the Health Accord will mean a health care funding shortfall of $31 billion for the provinces with no concrete targets to improve public health care for Canadians and no plan to bridge the fiscal gap. Calling the rhetoric around health transformation and target funds for home and mental health care "more PR than substance", the coalitions also tallied the non-monetary costs of the lost Health Accord: the grave problems of under capacity in public hospitals, long-term and community care; long-waits; growing inequities and problems with access to care that will continue without any national plan to address them.

  • Prescription Drug Coverage Needed to Fight Poverty for Alberta’s Working Class

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    Media Release
    September 4, 2017
    Edmonton

    Prescription Drug Coverage Needed to Fight Poverty for Alberta’s Working Class

     

    At today’s annual Labour Day barbecue for the unemployed and underemployed organized by the Edmonton & District Labour Council, the EDLC, End Poverty Edmonton & Friends of Medicare are calling for action on universal prescription drug coverage to help fight poverty in Alberta.

  • Alberta Can Show Pride by Removing Barriers to Trans Health Care

    Media Release
    September 1, 2017
    Edmonton

    Alberta Can Show Pride by Removing Barriers to Trans Health Care

    Unequal access to hormone replacement therapy causing wait times

    Friends of Medicare are calling on the Government of Alberta to mark Calgary Pride week by removing barriers to health care for trans patients, and end the practice of unequal access to hormone replacement therapy.

  • New Dental Fee Guide Fails to Tackle Affordability Issues

    Media Release
    August 17, 2017
    Edmonton

    New Dental Fee Guide Fails to Tackle Affordability Issues

    After waiting for 20 years for a public Dental Fee Guide, Albertans will only see a 3% reduction of the fees currently being charged by dentists in this province. "For years Albertans have been paying almost double of what the rest of Canadians pay for dental services. A mere 3% reduction being proposed will do nothing to address the issue of affordability which currently prevents Albertans from accessing dental care," says Sandra Azocar, Executive Director with Friends of Medicare.

  • Health Advocates Applaud Universal Mifegymiso Coverage

    Media Release
    July 24
    Edmonton

    Health Advocates Applaud Universal Mifegymiso Coverage

    Friends of Medicare are pleased to see Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman announce universal coverage for the abortion pill mifegymiso today.

    "Today's announcement will be especially important to women in rural communities who would normally have to travel to Edmonton or Calgary for abortion," said Executive Director Sandra Azocar. "Our health system should be based on the principle of equitable access to services regardless of your postal code, and covering mifegymiso for all Albertans follows that principle."

  • Canadian Health Advocates to Premiers: Stand up for Public Health Care

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    Canadian Health Coalition Chair Pauline Worsfold speaks at the rally. Photo credit Linda Silas.
    Media Release
    July 19, 2017
    Edmonton

    Canadian Health Advocates to Premiers: Stand up for Public Health Care

     

    Health care advocates from across the country gathered in Edmonton today at a rally outside the Hotel Macdonald to call on Canada’s Premiers to fight for patients and call for fair federal funding for health care.

  • Pure North Funding Cancellation Welcomed

    For Immediate Release
    July 12, 2017
    Edmonton

    Pure North Funding Cancellation Welcomed

    Friends of Medicare are pleased to see that Alberta's Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman has cancelled funding for the Precision Health clinic operated by Pure North after CBC News revealed the clinic had been offering unproven treatment to a patient.

  • Budget 2017 Resists Pressure to Cut Needed Health Services

    For Immediate Release
    Edmonton
    March 16, 2017

    Budget 2017 Resists Pressure to Cut Needed Health Services

    Major Work Needs to Begin on Expanding and Improving Universal Public Care

    Friends of Medicare are pleased to see funding increases of 3.2% which will cover spending pressures in inflation and population growth. Friends of Medicare are also glad to see the government willing to resist wrong headed calls to cutback an already stretched system.