News
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Friends of Medicare's response to the Throne Speech
Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, made the following statement today following the Alberta government's Throne Speech:
The 2020 Throne Speech not only outlines business that the government will bring to the Legislative Assembly in the upcoming session, but also serves to direct the political discourse and narrative intended to shape and influence how we view and respond to the political challenges facing us.
When it comes to health care policy, this year’s Throne Speech provided little more than a reiteration of prior announcements already made by the government. We saw once again their commitment to cutting and privatizing throughout the sector, through reforms like the Surgical Wait Times Initiative. Again, we see that this government will be moving forward with little regard to the patients and health care providers who are already being impacted by their wayward economic policy decisions made in the name of short-term “savings.”
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
February 25, 2020 -
APWG: Pharmacare Bill signals a positive step towards a long-awaited national, universal Pharmacare program
Alberta Pharmacare Working Group: Pharmacare Bill signals a positive step towards a long-awaited national, universal Pharmacare program
The Alberta Pharmacare Working Group (APWG) is encouraged by the tabling of Bill C-213, An act to enact the Canada Pharmacare Act. This private member’s bill, introduced by Peter Julian, MP for New Westminster-Burnaby, proposes the framework for the implementation of a national pharmacare program modeled after the Canada Health Act, and founded in the principles of public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
February 24, 2020 -
Alberta's seniors continue to suffer at the expense of corporate profit
Alberta's seniors continue to suffer at the expense of corporate profit
Yesterday, CBC’s investigative unit, Go Public, released a story that showcases the painful reality facing our current elder care system, revealing that an Alberta continuing care facility, Extendicare Athabasca, has been alleged to have rationed diapers, leaving incontinent residents in medical duress.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
February 24, 2020 -
Unilaterally ripping up doctors agreements will leave Albertans paying more out of pocket
February 20, 2020
EDMONTONToday, Minister Shandro announced that his government would be terminating the current contract between the Alberta government and the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), and, as per the MacKinnon Report, using “legislative options” to make changes to physician compensation. No mention was made as to the resulting delisting of services from the Schedule of Medical Benefits (SOMB), which lists everything that physicians and health practitioners are able to bill for.
“As we have seen over the years, anytime services are delisted, the costs are passed down to patients,” says Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
February 20, 2020 -
FOM's response to the AHS review
With the release of the much-awaited performance review of Alberta Health Services (AHS), Albertans will have to wait until May 2020 to fully understand the real life consequences that the recommendations will have on Albertans.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
February 03, 2020 -
Alberta Government bent on privatization, rather than the public good
January 31, 2020
EDMONTON
Alberta Government bent on privatization, rather than the public good
Alberta Health Services (AHS) released a Request for Expression of Interest today for surgical services in Alberta. The request follows a government announcement of a new initiative to contract out surgical services.“’Contracting out’ is a euphemism that proponents of privatization use often to obscure the processes that governments use to pave the way for privatization,” stated Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. “It is a way of putting a public good in the hands of the private sector, whose desire to increase profits always negatively impacts patient needs and safety.”
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
January 31, 2020 -
Elder care in Alberta should not be an industry
Elder care in Alberta should not be an industry
Yesterday’s media report on the death of an Alberta senior residing in a for-profit seniors’ facility served as a harrowing example of the real life consequences of the political ideology and short-sighted policy decisions that have shaped Alberta’s continuing care system. “Alberta’s continuing care system is an area that has seen aggressive privatization that has resulted in serious consequences for our seniors,” says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “We have turned our elder care system into an industry that treats residents as consumers, rather than people deserving of timely and quality care.”
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
January 27, 2020 -
Government setting the stage for the closure and possible relocation of existing supervised consumption Services
Government setting the stage for the closure and possible relocation of existing supervised consumption services
As reported in the media today, Premier Jason Kenney is already setting the stage for what could be the closure or relocation of Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) in Alberta. While the Supervised Consumption Services Review Committee was tasked with reporting to the government by the end of 2019, their report has yet to be publicly released.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
January 21, 2020 -
Surgical wait time initiative announcements leave Albertans with more questions than answers
December 10, 2019
EDMONTON
Surgical wait time initiative announcements leave Albertans with more questions than answers
In a press conference this morning, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced the government’s plan to reduce surgical wait times in Alberta. The minister confirmed that the planning for the surgical initiative was informed by the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative (which ultimately failed to solve wait-time issues in Saskatchewan) but was unable to clarify the lessons that this government is taking from its failure.Despite the effort with which Minister Shandro tried to mask the true underlying ideology of the initiative – namely privatization – the true intent was clear. What’s worse is that today’s announcement came with no monetary figures, no timelines, and no details. “Just as we’ve seen with previous conservative governments, the minister is once again asking Albertans to accept major changes to their health care system on faith alone, without revealing any of the details as to how this will affect costs or the quality of care to patients,” says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
December 10, 2019 -
Black Friday announcements signal dark days ahead for public health care
Black Friday announcements signal dark days ahead for public health care
Announcements made on Black Friday of the loss of well over 5,100 front-line health care jobs highlights the deep disdain for public services that our current government holds.“These announcements were a clear move away from the collectivism that drives our social programs, a move away from the caring and compassion that is necessary to advance our society. It was a reiteration of a commitment to an endless quest to privatize our needed public services,” states Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
December 02, 2019
