So How Do You Milk the Cow Through the Fence?
Kevin Routley, Partner, Employee Benefits & Pensions

As discussed in the 2005 International Comparison of Health Care Systems by the Fraser Institute, Canada was listed as the third highest spender of the 27 countries within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with universal access to care surveyed on healthcare, lagging behind only Iceland and Switzerland.

So what is a Canadian to do? Canada is the third highest spender yet cannot provide access to care, the Supreme Court ruled that they must allow private insurers to market services within the Canadian system and the Government of Canada criticizes and refuses to act on the decision. So how do Canadians access the care they need when the Government puts up barriers to care. How do you milk the cow through the fence?

The dirty secret of our system is that universal access is no guarantee of treatment. Sick Canadians spend months and even years on waiting lists for surgery and other procedures. Versus the United States, Canadians are five times more likely to wait longer than four months for non-emergency surgery. The gap between supply and demand is as wide as the Great Lakes.

In some cases, the delay lasts longer than the person enduring it. Or as the Supreme Court put it: "Patients die as a result of waiting lists for public health care." Not only does the government subject its citizens to painful and even fatal delays in the public system, it bars them from private-market alternatives. Canada is the only country in the OECD that outlaws privately funded purchases of core services. Every other OECD country has some form of user-pay private provision of health care.

Succinctly, the Canadian system of health care delivery under-performs all other OECD countries. The promise that a single-payer approach will simultaneously deliver quality care at a contained cost is untrue. The Canadian system is depriving patients of treatment while costs continue to spiral upward.

Canadians only have two options as an alternative to the current public monopoly, pay out of pocket at the time of seeking treatment out of country, or purchase private health care insurance that provides payment for treatment out of country. Both ensure timely care, but have different cash flow requirements.

Selectpath has been offering private health care insurance for many years, and also coordinates private medical services for preventative care. Two tier healthcare exists for Canadians today at a relatively low cost.

So, is it possible to milk the cow through the fence? You bet it is!! Knowing what is best for you is another thing. Call your Selectpath consultant today to find out more about protecting your right to efficient and effective care.

THE NEXT STEP IS YOURS. TAKE THE FIRST STEP ON THE RIGHT PATH.

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