A little reminder

Lest anybody think PMPM has done anywhere near as much as he could have to stop private health care so far, think again:

A private health clinic plans to open for business in Toronto, Ottawa and London this summer, while critics call for government to stop the company.

Copeman Healthcare clinics work on a membership basis. A one-time enrollment fee of $1,200 plus $2,300 per year will provide members with access to family physicians and experts in areas such as cardiology and sports injuries...

A first Copeman clinic opened in Vancouver in Nov. 2005. The company chose Ontario to open in because they expect to receive provincial government approval for the clinics...

Provincial New Democratic health critic Michael Prue said Copeman's clinics will lure resources and physicians away from the publicly-funded system...

Later on Wednesday, Prue told CTV.ca that Copeman Healthcare is exploiting a loophole in federal legislation to make $14 million in membership fees.

Prue said he is "appalled" because Copeman's physicians will still be able to bill the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

We'll find out soon whether or not to add McGuinty (for all his tough talk) to the all-too-long list of premiers failing to do anything to stop privatization. But whatever decision McGuinty makes on licensing, there's no doubt which federal party is responsible for the decay in the public system that has allowed Copeman to set up shop. And likewise, on both the provincial and federal levels, there's no doubt whatsoever which party is working to save the public system before it's too late.