SCRAPPING PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION A WISE CHOICE FOR BCAA

OSOYOOS TIMES-October 15, 2008

The British Columbia Automobile Association made a smart decision on Oct. 8 to end its trial offer of private medical insurance policies to its members.

The association began offering what it called medical access insurance in August and the program allowed members facing long wait times in the public health system the opportunity to receive expedited access to medical treatment in the U.S. or in private clinics in British Columbia if they signed up.

When the B.C. Federation of Labour and the B.C. Health Coalition heard about the program, they blasted the association for undermining public health care.

And, wisely, a number of the association's own members expressed opposition to the private insurance concept.

So, the association said it was listening to those members who opposed the program and scrapped the trial offering.

Now many will look at this situation and say, 'Hey, if I have the cash, why shouldn't I have the option to seek out speedier medical treatment?'

Some who are facing long wait times for important surgery might ask why they are being denied a chance to have their health problems dealt with more quickly.

As tempting as it would be to give in to such arguments, it's hard to dismiss one significant truth about the private sector.

No matter what the slogans say and no matter how nice the personnel are, the priority in private business is making profit.

Service may just be No. 2 on the list, but keeping the books in the black and making investors happy comes first.

That's not a bad thing; it's the way most of the world works and such an attitude can often benefit consumers in other sectors.

But when it comes to health care, the mentality of private business seems like a scary thing and raises a great deal of questions.

If a medical facility is private and starts losing money, will it start to cut corners in areas such as the hiring of the best qualified doctors or purchasing the best equipment to treat patients with just to save some cash?

Obviously in the situation of the association's private insurance program, the issue isn't about turning our public health system into a private one; it's about giving people the choice to go to private clinics.

Yet one has to wonder, if more and more people start choosing private health care and increasing the bankrolls of private clinics, how long until doctors within our public system” which is already short of physicians in many areas” begin to see big money-making opportunities in the private sector and defect.

How long before public facilities are left with substandard staff to treat those who can't afford to pay for health care out of their own pocket?

Private enterprise is fine in other industries, but it just doesn't fit when it comes to health care.