Responsibile Canadian Medicare
What would make our Canadian medicare system better? We know we want the system, we know we need access to the system, so what could be done to the current system to address its’ areas of issue?
When you visit your family doctor (if you have found one), the emergency room or a scheduled appointment with a specialist, the first concern has always been timing and access. The concern has traditionally stopped after the patient walks out the door of the medical office and will start up again once access becomes a need.
As Canadians, we like to think we have a more responsible social awareness of programs like medicare and what they provide. What if we were to expand that responsibility beyond just the access stage and gave some attention to the stage that occurs after you’ve walked out of the office? Responsible Canadian Medicare occurs at every stage of the process, and doesn’t stop once you have left.
Canadians should have more visibility to the process after the visit. How much does the visit cost as a draw on the system? Was the value of the visit true to that draw? The cost and the value of the visit isn’t the end all be all judgment of the system, nor will it affect all those who use the system to think twice before creating an unnecessary draw on the system. But what would it do for those who use the system and respect it in a responsible way?
We hear the words “not for profit” associated with Canadian Medicare in almost every breath when mentioned. But we understand that there is money that changes hands for every transaction completed. How would knowing the costs of services offered by doctors affect your next visit? Would you go without any additional thought, or would you second guess the value of a consultation versus the costs?