For-profit health care delivery threatens to undermine Medicare
In his final report, Building on Values: The Future of Health Care in Canada, delivered to Parliament in November 2002, Commissioner Roy Romanow was very clear in rejecting for-profit delivery of health care. The Commission states that “direct health care services should be delivered in public and not-for-profit health care facilities.”
In rejecting privatization or a for-profit model of sustaining the health care system, Romanow reiterated the challenge he made to the proponents of such an approach that they provide convincing evidence that this approach would improve our health care system. The evidence was not forthcoming.
The Ecumenical Health Care Network (EHCN) applauded the position the Commission took against for-profit options for sustaining the health care system. That position was consistent with the recommendations the EHCN made to the Commission in May 2002. At that time we wrote:
“We urge that you hold the key values of solidarity, community, equity, compassion and efficiency at the centre of your policy deliberations. These values should enable you to see clearly that health care is a public good, not a market good.”
The Canadian Council of Churches
Project Ploughshares
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity