Jan 20, 2016

Toronto, ON: CARP members are looking for transformative change from Canada’s health ministers, not just incremental measures or pilot projects. As the federal, provincial and territorial health ministers meet this week, CARP members will be watching for action on the system wide changes, recommended in several reports over the years needed to address the healthcare concerns of a population that is much changed from when the Canada Health Act was first conceived. The most fundamental change is perspective – design the healthcare system to serve the needs of the patients not the hospitals and doctors.

“CARP members call on the health ministers to take this historic opportunity for transformative change centred around the needs of today’s population.”

“CARP members will welcome the renewed focus on national healthcare reform and call on the health ministers to take this historic opportunity for transformative change centred around the needs of today’s population. There must be sustained funding and national standards to ensure sufficient community and home based care. Canadians must be able to afford needed medications regardless of postal code or pocket book.

Canadians are not just patients, not even just taxpayers – we call them Healthcare Citizens – who expect that the health care system they pay for addresses their priorities, not just those of the hospitals and doctors who have traditionally decided where money is spent. They want universal access, equal care regardless of where they live and comprehensive care that is suited to their needs – all values covered in the Canada Health Act but increasingly neglected.” – Susan Eng, Executive Vice President

CARP is calling for action on:

• System-wide changes – National standards of quality care and access rather than more incremental changes or pilot projects.
• Patients’ priorities – Redesign the system around the patients’ priorities rather than the priorities of the care providers.
• Patient-driven funding – Funding models organized and financed around the patient’s needs rather than doctors and hospitals.
• National pharmacare plan – Ensure access to needed medications regardless of income and postal code –more than bulk buying is needed. There should be a national formulary and a single affordable price for all public and private payors across the country.

The current outdated, fragmented, and increasingly costly health care system is lagging in performance at the cost of our health. As the current Health Accord is set to expire in 2017, the health ministers have an opportunity to bring real transformational change to the healthcare system.

The report from the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation called for this transformational change. Therefore, CARP members are pleased with the Minister’s acknowledgement of the report from the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation. While innovation is welcome, the reports’ recommendations for fundamental change in how healthcare is organized, financed, and delivered is a priority for many Canadians as they deal with their unmet health needs.

CARP called for a full system re-design of the health care system around the Healthcare Citizen in a submission to the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation. Click here to read CARP’s submission.

CARP is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to advocating for social change that will bring financial security, equitable access to health care and freedom from discrimination. CARP seeks to ensure that the marketplace serves the needs and expectations of our generation and provides value-added benefits, products and services to our members. Through our network of chapters across Canada, CARP is dedicated to building a sense of community and shared values among our members in support of CARP’s mission. CARP has 300,000 members nationwide.