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Health Accord. While making the submission the National Union criticized
the Harper government’s decision to have the unelected Senate conduct
the second mandatory review of the 2004 Health Accord. The previous
review was conducted in 2008 by the House of Commons Standing
Committee on Health.
From the submission we produced the pamphlet Medicare: the Big Kiss Off
and the fact sheet Our Medicare: Back to the Negotiating Table.
The National Union and our Components have been vocal in arguing that
health care spending is not a problem. Total health care spending, as a per
cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is currently just slightly higher
today than its previous peak in 1992. However, all levels of government have
cut taxes so drastically that they’ve reduced their revenue by six per cent of
GDP – that’s a loss of $90 billion in revenue every year. That’s more than
enough money to not only strengthen our current Medicare system, but to
also expand it. It’s all about priorities and choices.
To highlight this fact, in the build up to the May 2011 federal election the
National Union produced a popular poster called Whose Canada! Health
Care. The poster highlighted that while Canadians placed a high priority on
expanding and defending health care, the Harper government gave more
priority to things like tax cuts and military spending.
The National Union worked closely with our ally the Public Services
Foundation of Canada to produce the research paper The Sky is Not Falling in
2011. The paper was well-researched but accessible, debunking the myth that
health care spending is out of control.
The National Union and our Components will be playing a strong and
vocal role during the public events taking place in Niagara-on-the-Lake in July,
2013, around the Council of the Federation meeting. This is the last meeting
of the Premiers and Territorial Leaders before the 2004 Health Accord expires
and it is hoped that our actions will help push the negotiations back onto the
public agenda.
Pharmacare
The single biggest cost driver to our Medicare system is prescription
medications. We know from international examples that a national pharmacare
program would not only benefit millions of Canadians, it would significantly
reduce many health care budgets. Under the umbrella of the Canadian Health
Coalition we assisted in the publication of the costs and benefits of a Pharmacare
program. The report, The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare, received
considerable attention and coverage in the major media.
Expanding on the successful release of the report, the National Union
and Components have been lobbying provincial health ministries to further
advocate for pharmacare. We are seeing some progress as the provinces are
starting to call for a national bulk buying program.
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