Monday, September 11, 2006

Back for more

Having been thoroughly beaten back in her attempt earlier this year to move toward private health insurance under Ralph Klein, Iris Evans is now at it again, suggesting a coordinated national movement to "review" (and presumably gut) regulations which prohibit private insurance - regardless of the lack of support for increased privatization either in terms of its apparent effectiveness, or public opinion about the issue.

Evans' apparent spur to action is a lawsuit filed by an Alberta resident seeking payment for the cost of a hip replacement. But rather than responding in any way to the immediate cause (either by talking to the plaintiff directly or by using some of the province's overflowing coffers to eliminate the age restrictions which gave rise to the suit), Evans once again seems to be looking for excuses to weaken health care across the country. Needless to say, the response should be no less forceful this time than before - and if there's going to be a coordinated movement, it needs to be to bolster public health care in the wake of Chaoulli, not to look for reasons to demolish it.

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