Medical associations disappointed with CMA delegates rejection of Medicare

(Charlottetown, PEI) - The Professional Associations of Internes and Residents of Ontario (PAIRO), representing more than 3600 doctors in training, is extremely disappointed with today’s decision by delegates attending the CMA annual meeting to reject Medicare. The CMA delegates voted against supporting the principle that care should be delivered based on need and not ability to pay. This is directly contrary to the views of the majority of Canadians and of Canadian physicians.

"There have been many independent reviews of the evidence -- including the CMA’s own paper entitled "It’s About Access" -- that have shown that parallel, private insurance for medically necessary services decreases access for the majority of patients", stated Dr. Kris Lehnhardt, the President of PAIRO. "Similarly, these reviews have also indicated that wait times will not improve, and that efficiency and quality will be compromised."

"Today’s actions have illustrated that the physician representatives of the CMA have abandoned the evidence, and with it, their patients", added Dr. Lehnhardt. "This is inconsistent with the public statement made yesterday by the CMA President, Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai, who claimed that ‘delegates rejected the establishment of a private, parallel health care system’."

"As the future face of medicine, we believe that the publicly funded health care system needs to be strengthened, so that care is delivered to patients based upon their need and not their ability to pay", said Dr. Jean-Pierre Martel, the Vice-President of PAIRO. "We understand that physicians are frustrated with the state of the current system. Improvements and reforms are needed but they must be based upon the best available evidence. Only then will access to care truly improve for all Canadians".

Dr. Lehnhardt concluded: "Given the evidence against two-tiered medicine, we can only infer that the CMA's policy is now being driven by self-interest. It will be the CMA’s responsibility to publicly demonstrate their commitment to the principles of Medicare, which are consistent with longstanding Canadian values".

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For more information:
Please contact Lynn Bury at The Professional Associations of Internes and Residents of Ontario (PAIRO); Tel.: (416) 473-1015 or 1-877-979-1183.