MEDIA RELEASE
FEB 26, 2018
OTTAWA

Nine out of 10 Canadians Want to See the Federal Government Enforce the Canada Health Act

As the Alberta affiliate of the Canadian Health Coalition, Friends of Medicare is in the nation's capital this week to focus on provincial and national issues related to privatization and the proliferation of private clinics across the country. A new poll conducted by EKOS Polling and commissioned by the Canadian Health Coalition shows 9 out of 10 Canadians want the federal government to intervene when unlawful billing takes place.

MEDIA RELEASE
JAN 11, 2018

UCP Health Policies Would Move Alberta Backwards to the 1990s

Modern Health Care Solutions are Needed

Friends of Medicare are calling for a rejection of proposed UCP policies reported by the Calgary Herald yesterday that would see health care services privatized and budgets slashed.

Greater Role for Public Sector in Hinton Continuing Care Applauded

Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta welcome a change in direction for continuing care today, with the announcement from Alberta's Ministry of Health that they will now be operating the Mountain View Centre supportive living services in Hinton. The facility is currently operated by the private not-for-profit Good Samaritan Society.

Government Must Act to Save and Cover Hospital Fertility Services

Friends of Medicare joined patients impacted by the planned closure of uninsured fertility services at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women and supporters at the Alberta Legislature today to call on the Ministry of Health to reverse the planned closure and begin covering in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Government Needs to Take Clear Action to End Blurred Lines for Private Clinics

Dental Fee Guide Welcomed But More Action Needed

Friends of Medicare are welcoming today's announcement of a reduced fee guide for dental services in Alberta, and urging the Ministry of Health to add dental coverage to Alberta's health care insurance plan. The guide recommends reductions of 8.5% in 60 common procedures.

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.

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

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

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.