CARPAction readers want CARP to make health care the number one priority

Over 1,300 readers of CARPAction took part in the survey in our previous issue. And their message was clear: fighting for a better health care system should be CARP’s number one priority.

67.5% of respondents strongly agreed with this statement, and a further 26.4% somewhat agreed – a combined total of almost 94%.

Respondents endorsed – by similarly wide margins – a number of specific actions that would improve health care in Canada.

• 66% strongly agreed and 22% somewhat agreed that CARP should fight for a national wait time guarantee. If treatment wasn’t delivered within the guarantee time period, the government would have to pay to have it done by another (possibly private) source

• 77% strongly agreed and 15% somewhat agreed that CARP should demand that any drug approved by Health Canada, be covered under provincial drug plans immediately

• 57% strongly agreed and 30% somewhat agreed that CARP should press for “fast track” testing and accrediting of qualified foreign-trained doctors, to help alleviate the doctor shortage

Respondents also favored a more aggressive stance by CARP – 69% strongly
agreed and 21% somewhat agreed that CARP “should put more pressure on
elected representatives to improve our health care system, or face defeat in
the next election.” In fact, if CARP were to launch a major new campaign
on health care, 33% strongly agreed and 29% somewhat agreed that they’d
personally get involved to help spread the word.