1934 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

^ A ND is still called a Doctor!

 

I think that what most people are looking for is a family doctor. It is not clear to me that that is what you get here. You get access to a team of healthcare professionals when you go to a walk in clinic or call tele-health!

[Victoria Watcher]

^ A ND is still called a Doctor!

 

I think that what most people are looking for is a family doctor. It is not clear to me that that is what you get here. You get access to a team of healthcare professionals when you go to a walk in clinic or call tele-health!

 

You get a set appointment time, like any other professional service not run by the government (DMV, passport office, clinics).  Non-rushed.  Seems like a deal.  Not (like a walk-in clinic) a line-up of 4 hours to get in, then shuffled out of the clinic in 10 minutes.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 April 2022 - 07:02 AM.

[spanky123]

^ You can call and set an appointment time at a walk-in clinic. In fact that is how most of them operate now. The problem is that if you call to set an appointment more than 2 minutes after the lines open in the morning they are already full.

[spanky123]

The CD did a story on the closure of the two surgical clinics. They suggested that it was related to the unions wanting to bring the privately employed nurses at those clinics back within the public system.

[lanforod]

Is this option scalable?

Like, lets say the government blessed the private $5k/yr option, stopped going after them, and they become a general knowledge and acceptable option. Those would be at capacity very quickly IMO; and more doctors will shift to that model. Keep regulation at a minimum - yes, regulate the medical credentials, but don't regulate the business models.

 

Eventually there would be a balance, as pressure lets off the public system, but funding the public system does not reduce, unless its really getting too much because so many people switch. I suppose it could work...

 

Eventually start some tinkering with allowing companies to pay the private clinic fees for their employees etc.

[Mike K.]

Perhaps the balancing act is any doctor licensed in the province that wants to do private clinic work, has to do it only if a minimum public threshold of services are met.

Ie, you have to see X number of patients at your clinic under the public regime, then the rest is up to you. You could also hold hours at a public care clinic or centre, that’s also up to you.

And let’s face it, not everyone has to see a “doctor.” A nurse practitioner could be good enough, even at a private clinic. But it’s the booking and stability that people need now more than anything which just isn’t available.

[Victoria Watcher]

Put a dollar price (just $10 or $20) on all doctor visits, for those that can afford it.  They will drop by 1/3.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 April 2022 - 08:02 AM.

[spanky123]

Eventually there would be a balance, as pressure lets off the public system, but funding the public system does not reduce, unless its really getting too much because so many people switch. I suppose it could work...

 

The problem is that healthcare decisions are not based on science or common sense. EVERY decision is a political one and the common view across all parties is that privatized healthcare to any extent is the 3rd rail to be avoided at all costs. Not only would politicians and their buddies lose their own preferred access, howls of inequality and white privilege would drown out any sensible comment from any politician and cost them their job. I think that if a politician were forced to decide whether to abandon reconciliation or impose a $5 user fee they would take the former 100% of the time.

 

For a while I thought that the goal of the Feds and BC NDP was to drive healthcare so far into the ground that people would beg for any other option.   As they keep forcing more and more private clinics to close and be replaced with public ones I think it is more just a consolidation of power and entrenchment.

Edited by spanky123, 29 April 2022 - 08:26 AM.

[Nparker]

...they keep forcing more and more private clinics to close and be replaced with public ones I think it is more just a consolidation of power and entrenchment.

Replacing them with fewer public ones.

[JohnN]

Ucluelet mayor slams new paramedic model as local ambulance sits unstaffed

....BCEHS was swift to reply saying they are making every effort to recruit despite being faced with housing and commuting challenges.

[Matt R.]

So buy or build some staff housing.

[spanky123]

So buy or build some staff housing.

 

The problem is that they want to cut costs.

[Victoria Watcher]

The problem is that healthcare decisions are not based on science or common sense. 

 

Neither are repeated "free" trips to the doctor's office. 

[Jacques Cadé]

The CD did a story on the closure of the two surgical clinics. They suggested that it was related to the unions wanting to bring the privately employed nurses at those clinics back within the public system.

Indeed. Today's government news release: https://news.gov.bc....HLTH0131-000674

 

People in health-care facilities in Vancouver are benefiting from stable, consistent and supportive patient care as more support service workers and services return in-house as Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) employees.

This change comes after nearly 20 years of these services being contracted to private companies.

“From Island Health to Fraser Health and now PHSA, we’re seeing great progress in restoring the rights and equity to workers in health facilities,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “Bill 47 continues to be important to workers, patients and families alike, and by restoring and protecting their rights, we’re building a stronger B.C. for everyone.”
 

I have also heard this is why the province wants Urgent and Primary Care Centres, not just more family physicians in private practice: UPCC staff are union.

[Matt R.]

The problem is that they want to cut costs.

 

Well sure who doesn't but you can't have it both ways.  The province has endless money to buy hotels for homeless and such but not a dime to spare to put up healthcare workers in underserved areas?  The hospital foundation here ponied up millions to buy staff housing without a cent from the gubmint.

[Barrrister]

Do the surgeons come with the clinics or is the rumor true that the doctors are relocating to the US? Did we just spend millions for a building?

[LJ]

So if he gets $4900 per year from each patient he only has to have 100 on his roster to earn nearly $500,000 a year. Whereas most GP doctors have what, 500 to 800 patients?

Plus he is still billing MSP for all your visits, sounds like a great deal for him.

 

Do we have any idea where this clinic is going to be located?

[spanky123]

Do the surgeons come with the clinics or is the rumor true that the doctors are relocating to the US? Did we just spend millions for a building?

I am assuming what they are saying is that they will use foreign specialists to provide you advice and will arrange for treatment in those countries if you need it. I doubt it means Canadian specialists would move to the US.

Having said that, lots of Canadian docs already do that. The money is one thing but the main priority for many is the availability of resources to support their patients. If you are diagnosed with cancer you can get imaging and treatment in days. I can only imagine the stress on BC specialists knowing that in most cases their patients will not be able to get the care they need and as we are reading lately will move to terminal status or suffer in pains for years while they wait.

[spanky123]

Plus he is still billing MSP for all your visits, sounds like a great deal for him.

Do we have any idea where this clinic is going to be located?

They may be able to bill MSP for some things that are medically necessary but they can’t charge you for the same thing.

I doubt they will open in Victoria at least. The NDP and Greens are already battling them.

[Lorenzo]

Put a dollar price (just $10 or $20) on all doctor visits, for those that can afford it.  They will drop by 1/3.

I'd pay $100.00 for a legitmate concern, and I'd do that all day long. $5K a year seems a bit much.

Edited by Lorenzo, 30 April 2022 - 12:37 PM.