The Health Care System

[cakadu]

I should say that some of these "old folks" are in pretty good health and shape. Have you ever watched some of them at dances? They are amazing to watch and I applaud them on their stamina and ability.

We have a serious crystal meth problem in this province and when I hear things about it, I have to say that I am continually shocked by what I hear. We also have a certain percentage of people who run to emergency rooms for every hangnail, sniffle (includes their kids)and spot on them. That is a huge drain on the system.

There are many more "toys" to be riding on like quads, motor bikes and have you ever taken a look at the people flying by you on the highway? They are generally young and feeling invincible (like we all did). There is an aura of work hard, play hard out there and that causes a lot of injuries and health problems that might not otherwise be there.

We are able to "fix" things and keep people alive sometimes questionably - just because we can, should we? (I'm not passing any judgment, just asking the question.)

We are doing far more elective surgeries in the hope of living up to some ideal younger and fitter image.

There are a host of reasons why health care keeps going up and it will require an overhaul, there is no doubt. The overhaul, however, should not come at the expense of those that do not have the means to pay.

[coppertop]

It is getting more difficult all the time to get in to see a doctor, and for those moving to the province that don't have a family doctor it poses a problem. At one time we had so many doctors in this community the hospital board had to enlarge the doctors parking area at the hospital twice.

Now we have fewer doctors and only a handful have hospital privleges.

A friend told me today that her son needs an MRI, he was told that one hospital in Edmonton can do 30 a day, but only do 3, because the rest of the time is saved for emergencies. He is paying $1000 and getting one done next week, my daughter in law has already paid her $1000 and has one on Wednesday. It makes me livid when I think of people who are in pain, need surgery and don't have the $1000 to pay. This is Alberta, the land of plenty, and we should have these machines in ever major centre, going 24 hours a day if need be. No-one should wait for months because they can't afford to pay for any treatment taht is going to pave the way for a better quality of life.

[cowman]

And the solution is?
How do we curb the price if the system needs so much more?
Do we find all the inefficiencies and then spend some more to bring it up to snuff?
A free medicare system is not really free?...especially if it kills you!
We try to legislate healthy living by the anti-smoking thing, anti-booze, anti-fat,etc.? How is that working?
Would it make more sense that if you are fat, a drunk, a smoker, a risky behavior taker...your health care premiums might reflect that? Nothing like a hit on the old pocketbook to create some personal responsibility?
I will make a prediction: Healthcare costs will not go down. They will continue to rise until personal responsibility is brought into the equation!
My mother is old. Her health is fading. We recently put her in a home at a cost of over $3000/month. It is a top of the line facility...we don't resent the cost, she deserves it and it is her money! It comes to us all sooner or later? Now if she didn't have the money she might go somewhere that isn't that nice, but where she would still get basic care? Our whole system should be built on the concept that those who succeed should benifit?
This garbage that we are all equal...is just that garbage! Work hard...live well! Don't work hard...live poorer!
We had a neighbor who was kind of a shiftless type. When he hit 65 he got all the benifits of the welfare state. I remember my Dad fuming how the government clawed back his pension benifits and veterans pension while old Sam lived the life of Riley! He said "While he was sitting in the beer parlor I was picking rocks and cutting brush...half of the time on crutches! Now I'm still picking rocks and cutting brush to keep him in the beer parlor! Theres something really wrong in this damned country"!
And before anyone thinks I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, let me tell you I worked darned hard for every dollar I got. I was not "to the manor born" I worked on pipelines, rigs, and a packing house to build my life and raise my family! I bought the majority of my mothers farm...although it was a sweetheart deal. I worked hard and hustled to make ends meet and I continue to work everyday to insure my family will be secure. I'm not some paragon of virtue...there are millions of Canadians who do the same! Work hard, use common sense, use the gifts God gave you, and you will succeed. This whole concept that the government is there to wipe your nose and take care of you is not good. Just my opinion.

[ivbinconned]

Copper, you seem to think you have all the answers and have got a handle on the issue, you have always got a come back, yet you ignor this comment of mine..."If higher costs could be blamed on newcomers to Alberta then then we should expect health care cost to decline in provinces with shrinking
populations. Such is not the case!!"

You also describe the shortage of docters, waiting times, etc. BUT those problems are just as bad if not worse in Saskatchewan!! With a declining population!! Please expand will you on how you can blame these issues on newcomers and the young???

Please don't express your opinion, just stick to the facts.

[coppertop]

Ivebin, you state your opinion many times on this site, as I do. I get the feeling that you seem to think you are the godfather of this site, with all the answers.

Anyone can cut and paste....

[coppertop]

cowman, for years there has been choices in seniors living accommodation. Private nursing homes have been around, as have life estates in facilities that provide the opportunity to age in place. The lower income seniors are looked after in the lodge program in Alberta, which is one of the only ones of its kind in Canada.

And before Ivebin gets his nickers in a knot thinking I am stating my opinion on that issue, I will advise that I chaired our local Seniors Foundation for years, and worked with the province on many issues, such as the priority point scoring program that is in place to ensure that seniors who are the most in need can be housed in seniors lodges that are subsidized by the province and the municipal taxpayer.
The Seniors Self contained housing is heavily subsidized, but each senior living in this accommodation pays 30% of their income, so, as you say cowman, those who have worked hard, saved their money and have more cash in their senior years,will pay more than those who don't, and this is for identical accommodation. It hardly seems fair, but that's the way it is.
I would suggest that at least 75% of the above lodges have waiting lists.

I still think that the health care system was running fairly smoothly before we had the Health Regions. Now there are huge bureaucracies throughout the province, and ever dollar it takes to keep them in operation are dollars taken away from the actual delivery of health care.

User fees have been considered, and people get up in arms, but there are user fees at most medical clinics in the province at this time, for some services.

Many people have access to excellent health benefits through their workplace, while others, like farmers, do not unless they pay huge premiums.

I won't commment on health care in other provinces because I am not qualified to do so, I do know that Alberta has state of the art hospitals, cancer clinics, childrens hospitals etc., that have been possible due to the fact that this province has the funds to build them, whether other provinces such as Saskatchewan have similar facilities isn't something I am aware of.

[cakadu]

Cowman, many of us are working hard and trying to do our best. Unfortunately, we are being hit with hefty costs just to live and they are continually increasing. Housing prices are astronomical, heat and power keep going up, user fees for various things are increasing, etc. etc.

Many are not living any different than they have been and yet their hard earned dollars are buying less. Have you looked at the cost of living in a place like Calgary recently? If you cannot afford to buy, rents are over the moon.

One has to bear in mind that here in Alberta in the 90's when we were going through our austerity program, we were blowing up hospitals and shutting so many things down. Now we are bursting at the seams and we don't have enough to keep up. We got so far behind that we are having a devil of a time even beginning to get back to where we were, let alone get ahead.

A friend of mine is a nurse and she tells me that the nursing shortage is only going to get worse, not better. Many are going through the nursing programs here and then heading to the U.S. because the mone and working conditions are so much better.

We need to get into the health regions and really have a look at the costs. Are some of these people worth the salaries they are paid? We won't know until we see what they are doing and what is going on with the funds. Is someone worth a $1 million salary - needs to be looked at don't you think?

[wilagro]

cakadu: In our local "Health Authority" (what a stupid designation), the Publicity Director receives over $100,000 which includes basic pay of over $70,000 plus other percs. He/she has an assistant or two as well. All this person does is liason with the Dep't of Health (note the old designation), and send public announcements to the local press as well as run the website and post minutes of meetings, etc..

The board is all appointed by the provincial gov't of course and each and everyone of them is well connected with the local PC party apparatus.

If you go to the website of your local Health Authirity, you can find out which board members showed up for meetings and how much they get paid for the year if you dig a little.

[ivbinconned]

"I won't commment on health care in other provinces because I am not qualified to do so, I do know that Alberta has state of the art hospitals, cancer clinics, childrens hospitals etc., that have been possible due to the fact that this province has the funds to build them, whether other provinces such as Saskatchewan have similar facilities isn't something I am aware of."

With out doing a comparison copper, with other provinces with declining populations, it was as I thought...just an OPINION when you suggested blame should be attributed to "newcomers"...right??

By commenting on it the way you did...with out having all the facts means you should not be commenting on health care in Alberta either!!

Its ok to have a bias about were the birthplace of leadership hopfuls should have been, or anyting else for that matter that you think might be impacted by those not "born" in Alberta.

Just be up front about it and stop pretending your views are anything but that...your opinion!

[wilagro]

cakadu: I referred to the "Publicity Director" in the foregoing posting. I should have said, "Communication Officer", my error.

wilagro

[coppertop]

IVEBIN, I don't know how you have read into my comments that newcomers were entirely responsible for the increase in health costs in Alberta.

There were 42,000 births in Alberta in 2006, I would assume that some of those would have been new families moving into this province, and they would fit into the age group that you felt wouldn't be the ones using the health care system as much.

Quite frankly, I don't really enjoy your continual challenges of every comment I make on this site. Obviously you have set your self up as someone who judges the rest of us, and if that blows your hair back go for it.

I enjoy reading the opinions of others, and as far as I am aware this is still a free country where we can all voice opinions on issues. Whether you agree with them or not doesn't matter to me one single bit. Far more important things happening in my world than gaining your approval everytime I have an opinion, and I am sure other contributors and readers of this site aren't the least bit interested in infighting amongst users.

Most people who access this site are mature individuals with much more to do than bicker, and second guess every comment made by others.

[cowman]

Linda: I am not against looking at the costs and whether some of the decisions have been the right ones? I don't know if someone is worth $1 Million dollars? I know Wayne Gretzky was, but not sure in the public sector? The private sector seems to think several people are?
I'm a "little person" not a mover or shaker so I really don't know?
If someone saves me $20 million...then I guess $1 million is a good deal?
I sometimes wonder if it is like thisbare with me...I see things as a little person?) If I own an oil company and I pay the drilling consultant $1800/day...is that silly? If that drilling consultant brings in the well and I make $1 million a month on the well was the expense justified? If instead I hire Joe Blow off the street and he brings in a duster, plus he loses all the tools down the hole and I lose everything...was I being really dumb?
I think people are basically paid what they are worth...at least in the private sector...not so sure about the public sector? It has been my experience if you are good enough you don't stay in the public sector? Just my opinion.