B.C. doctors elect a president who wants to expand parallel, privately funded health-care system

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      The organization representing B.C. physicians has voted in a new president who wants to shatter B.C.'s single-payer system for compensating doctors.

      Dr. Brian Day, an orthopedic surgeon and founder of the for-profit Cambie Surgery Centre, was elected by a one-vote margin to head Doctors of B.C. in 2016.

      "It is time for doctors in B.C. to take a leadership role in liberating both patients and doctors from policies and laws that ration access and funding," Day stated on his campaign website. "I have been involved in this mission for over 20 years and I believe that success is imminent."

      Day is a vociferous advocate of a parallel privately funded health-care. Currently, ICBC and WorkSafe B.C. pay for health care for their clients, but private insurers are prohibited from moving into funding most medically necessary services.

      Day's clinic has launched a constitutional challenge against the B.C. government over its attempt to stop his company from billing patients directly.

      The court case was filed after the B.C. Medical Services Commission had determined in 2012 that the clinic and its related Specialist Referral Clinic were repeatedly extra billing in violation of the Medicare Protection Act.

      Doctors of B.C., formerly known as the B.C. Medical Association, advocates on behalf of the profession and negotiates the fee schedule with the B.C. government.

      Comments

      2 Comments

      Capitalism is Tyranny

      May 27, 2015 at 10:21am

      Don't do it. We tried this in the U.S. and it resulted in rich CEOs of health corporations and people left dying on the street because they couldn't afford care. However, if you TAX the Cambie Surgery Centre more heavily you can reduce health care wait times in the public system.

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      fembot

      May 27, 2015 at 10:57pm

      This is horrible news! The Las thing we need is allowing rich people better access to healthcare by virtue of being rich. Because that's working out SO well in the US

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