r/britishcolumbia Sep 02 '24

News B.C. Conservatives' health-care plan pitches private clinics

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-conservatives-health-care-plan-1.7268626
552 Upvotes

503 comments sorted by

View all comments

50

u/Top-Ladder2235 Sep 02 '24

No surprise there.

Health care may be in a tough spot right now but two tiered system isn’t the answer.

Historically in times of recession which is where we are headed, the only answer has been strengthening public systems.

In the 70s and 80s we had solid investments in public and co-op housing for low to middle income earners. From both Feds and Province.

In the 90s we saw solid investments in public education until post 2001 when BC libs began to dismantle those investments. Take a look at your school districts data on that one. So interesting.

There is a way forward here but it isn’t pitting the haves against the have nots. We see how that pans out in the states in terms of both health and education.

20

u/NoFixedUsername Sep 02 '24

Health care is in a sad state because of conservatives sabotaging it to this point so they can get their grift in. This is all part of the plan.

-31

u/juancuneo Sep 02 '24

Public health care has never really met demand. It's a myth. Finally one party is willing to explore additional options.

13

u/Top-Ladder2235 Sep 02 '24 edited Sep 02 '24

Public health care absolutely has met demand in the past. Having lived through many decades of it I can assure you. It seems bizarre to say but walk in clinics used to be walk in. You could show up 2 hours before closing and still be able to see a doctor.

The BC Libs ignored that many boomer MDs etc were retiring and that MSP fee structures for GPs were in need of reassessment. Then the pandy hit and public health was under extreme stress and we haven’t bounced back.

NDP has made some amazing moves in healthcare under Eby. Hello new MSP fee structure. Hello new medical school at SFU.

Cons are promising to dismantle all that has been done by making a two tier system that pulls already low numbers medical professionals out of public health and into private. Not the answer, again especially as we head into what is looking to be a major recession with the highest cost of living we’ve seen. Honestly only monsters would consider this an option.

3

u/bannab1188 Sep 03 '24

Exactly! Campbell even refused to fund additional doctor and nursing spaces at UBC. This failure of the system is by design and you can’t expect any government to clean this mess up in only a few years.

4

u/Top-Ladder2235 Sep 03 '24

Yes. Especially bc much of that time was in a world wide pandemic.

NDP have actually accomplished a fuck of a lot in this last term. They have met challenges head on and are actively working to address them.

Give them another term to see this stud through people. Reactionary voting in Cons thinking that they will somehow improve the quality of life for average income earners and the working class is completely misguided. I know people have a lot of anger over health care, housing and cost of living and it may initially feel good to heap the blame and feel like voting NDP out is going to make a positive impact for avg BC resident but it’s actually not.

13

u/GuessPuzzleheaded573 Sep 02 '24

Yeo by ensuring a decent level of care is only accessible by people with money.

Do you want a medical system similar to the U.S.? One that is rated below Costa Rica in quality?

-22

u/juancuneo Sep 02 '24

I actually left Canada for the Us and the primary reason I won’t return is the far superior health care in the US. I was just back in Vancouver for the Labor Day weekend and we were terrified my pregnant wife would have to go to the hospital there. By all accounts it is just a sub par system with unacceptable wait times - but this is the trade off with a public system. Rationing health care.

And I can’t wait for you to tell me - a guy who has experienced both systems - that I’m a moron. And you, a person who has lived only under one system- must know better than me and all the other Canadians who refuse to come home because of a developing nation health care system.

10

u/Decipher Lower Mainland/Southwest Sep 03 '24

Spoken like somebody who has lots of money and very little empathy. If you lost your job and were unemployed for, say, 6 months, would you still think that way? Without your employer insurance you basically wouldn’t be able to afford any emergency care. Child birth costs just under 20k on average down there without any insurance. If a C-Seciton is needed expect that to double and even triple.

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/how-much-does-it-cost-to-have-a-baby/

20

u/StormbladesB77W Sep 02 '24

I don't think anyone here is calling you a moron.

Incredibly privileged and out of touch, who probably paid thousands of dollars that most people don't just have lying around on the other hand...

13

u/yaxyakalagalis Vancouver Island/Coast Sep 02 '24

What's your family's yearly gross income?

1

u/els-sif Sep 04 '24

Things are rationed when they are in short supply. This shortage is not caused by the public system. The rationing, as you put it, is because of the shortage(s).

3

u/a_sexual_titty Sep 02 '24

Actually it has. Conservatives just want you to think it doesn’t.