A few minor mistakes in the gentleman's article. Unlike general beliefs held in the US, private clinics are perfectly legal. And they have been all along. What is not legal is for a physician to charge a fee for his "availability". In other words, if someone that isn't a member of the "club" walks-in to see a doctor, he cannot be charged privately by the doctor. The reason is that the government is already paying for the service, otherwise the physician would get paid twice per patient. On the other hand, they are perfectly free to charge for all of the other privileges that are not covered by the public insurance. Here is the real story as told from a local CBC News source: The only horror is the inaccurate reporting that your source conducted. The situation isn't as dire as your source would have you believe. I know so because I live here. I'm not saying it's perfect but it's not atrocious either.
OK so then its the Socialist that are up in arms about nothing just desperate people trying to obtain healthcare where it is not provided by the government. And it seems the liberals are hell bent on preventing these people from getting to pay for care that Canada does not provide then. Got the big picture now.
Read the article. What the clinic offers is high-end "advanced preventive cardiology". If people have a need for health care they can always come to the clinic, but they won't be benefiting from the luxurious treatments. That's why the government of Alberta says the clinic doesn't break any laws. They will provide health care if needed. The only difference from a regular clinic is that you get extra perks with a yearly membership. That's it. The article also says that these types of clinics already exist all over the place. Nevermind the liberals, they're always angry at something.
So are you against private clinics in Canada? Or do you just take any side as long as it's opposite of mine? Oh and by the way, I've had no problem finding a family physician. They even advertise in the papers for new clients. Whatever, I'm all for it. Having a private clinic that charges a yearly fee for stuff that isn't covered is perfectly fine. Do you expect the government to fork over money for "advanced preventative cardiology"? Just another word for a health spa. Also the guy that commented, David Eggen, is a member of the NDP. The NDP is even more liberal than the Liberals. My province is ruled by the Conservatives and they better keep those NDP dogs away. Another thing, that Globe and Mail link you gave is just their front page. It has nothing to do with the article that your American source wrote. You're a snaky-snake. All you did is re-quote your original article and slap a Globe and Mail link next to it.
