Alberta might eliminate health premiums

It's for the first time Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach is talking about the possibility of eliminating health care premiums as part of his party’s next election platform.

Even though Alberta has been awash in surplus cash for years, the Progressive Conservative government has resisted the idea of dropping health premiums, which only exist in three provinces.
But now Stelmach is signaling that a policy change may be in the works for premiums, which cost $1,056 per year for families and $528 for singles.

Earlier this week Ontario's premier McGuinty announced that despite soaring government revenues, health tax is not going to be scrapped for Ontarians. (read related article here)

“The revenue is close to $1 billion,” he told The Canadian Press in a year-end interview.
“There are a number of ideas coming forward from people that are looking at developing policy positions for the campaign. But we’re far from making any kind of decisions.”

Health Minister Dave Hancock said he has been talking to government caucus members for months about how the province can eliminate or at least reduce health premiums for some people.
Hancock says he would like to see the province create incentives for people to lead healthy lifestyles. "Whether we collect it as a premium or we collect it as tax, we should give people credit for the things that they do to remain healthy," he said Wednesday in an interview.

The message to Albertans would be: "We can take health-care premiums off, but you have to do something for it."

“That’s what I’m promoting, that we take a look at how you can earn your premium back by doing some pre-screening tests, by engaging in health activity, those sort of things.”

The group Friends of Medicare was delighted to hear that the government appears to have had a change of heart over health premiums, which are also charged in Ontario and British Columbia.

“This is the time to get rid of these premiums. We’ve never been wealthier,” said Suzanne Marshall, executive director of the Edmonton-based lobby group.

Edmonton Sun

Dalton McGuinty says: no scrapping of annual health tax

There's no chance the annual health tax of up to $900 a person will be scrapped, according to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, despite soaring government revenues and a looming legislative review of the levy.

While the Liberal government will launch an examination of the controversial tax in the New Year, McGuinty struck a decidedly Grinch-like tone yesterday for those who hoped he might give taxpayers a yuletide surprise.

"That was raised during the course of the campaign. I dealt with that very specifically and straightforwardly and said, `No, we cannot eliminate or reduce our health tax,'" the premier said in an interview with CJBK radio's Steve Garrison in London.

"We need that money to continue to invest in our continuing capacity to assure that we've got health care there for people when we need it," he said.

The health premium, which was introduced in the 2004 budget just months after McGuinty had won power with a promise not to increase taxes, brings in about $2.6 billion a year.

Coincidentally, in last Thursday's economic statement, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan revealed that higher than expected personal and corporate tax revenues mean this year's income projections have grown by $2.6 billion, from $91.5 billion to $94.1 billion.

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, who campaigned to phase out the health tax, said the surplus proves the Liberals could afford to scrap the premium.

But Duncan also disclosed in his economic statement that spending would rise by $2.2 billion, to $93.3 billion from $91.1 billion.

McGuinty didn't think it was necessary to make apologies for retaining the health tax or for the broken promise of the 2004 campaign.

"We've got huge pressures associated with the delivery of health care, and what I said to Ontarians during the course of the campaign is that if I'm elected I will continue to invest in our health-care system to ensure that at all times we always have the capacity to care for each other in times of sickness," he said on CJBK.

About 42 percent of all taxpayers earn enough to pay the levy, which rises to a maximum of $900 a year, depending on income.

The Star

Editor's opinion:

"I hope they will use those billions to invest in efficiency, better management of health care institutions and IT so we can have that tax cut next time and make our health care system really accessible and free for everyone!"

Ontario physicians best paid

Ontario is even more competitive in physician compensation than figures reported today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) said Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman.

Today, CIHI released Physicians in Canada: Average Gross Fee-for-Service Payments which covers the 2005/06 year. (download the report here)

"We are headed in the right direction in making Ontario an employer of choice in health care," said Smitherman.
"I look forward to building on this success with our doctors so that an additional 500,000 Ontarians can benefit from family health care."

Since the year that the report captures, the ministry has invested a further $652 million for physicians that includes incentives to enroll more patients and to treat people with chronic diseases.
Beginning in 2008, an additional $364 million will flow to doctors in recognition of the important care they provide to patients. Total investments in this deal will total $1.3 billion annually in physician services.
By working together, the McGuinty government and Ontario's doctors have been able to increase the number of Ontarians with access to a family doctor. Based on independent survey data and data from Statistics Canada, the number of Ontarians with regular access to a family doctor has increased by 500,000.

The additional $652 million of funds dedicated to doctors is being used as follows:

• $285 million to provide Ontarians access to family health care;
• $290 million for better hospital care in areas such as emergency rooms and palliative care;
• $77 million for other areas such as chronic disease management, psychiatry and surgical services.

More info: http://www.health.gov.on.ca

source: CNW Group

McGuinty: smoking in cars with kids is culpable

Smoking in cars while transporting kids is "reprehensible'' given the dangers of second-hand smoke, but according to Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ontario will have to think a little harder before it will become the first province to pass "invasive'' legislation against it.

Earlier during the the recent Ontario election campaign, McGuinty said 'nay' against banning smoking in cars with young passengers, and called it a slippery slope.

But as health advocates rally around a private member's bill which would give police the right to pull people over for smoking in a car with passengers under the age of 16, McGuinty now says he's open to the idea.

"To one extent, it's pretty invasive,'' McGuinty said Monday after decorating his office Christmas tree with children from the legislature daycare.

"The car is a kind of personal space. On the other hand, as a parent, I think the idea of smoking inside a car is reprehensible. Kids have no choice in the matter at all so I think it's an important debate to have.''

Jurisdictions in the United States and Australia, as well as the town of Wolfville, N.S., have all banned smoking in cars where children are present. In B.C. and Nova Scotia, opposition politicians have tabled private member's bills recently that would also ban the practice across the province.

Private member's bills rarely become law unless they are adopted by the government, but McGuinty said he's going to stay neutral and hear what Ontarians have to say.

"If nothing else, this debate will help to reinforce what we all understand -- that smoking is harmful to all of us but it can be particularly harmful to children,'' McGuinty said. "All those who become aware of the debate will hopefully understand that you shouldn't smoke in a car.''

While tobacco lobby groups say any legislation would be a violation of people's rights, health experts say the risk to children's health is good enough reason to force people to butt out after they buckle up.

George Habib, CEO of the Ontario Lung Association, said the law would be no different than compelling people to buckle their seatbelt or properly install a carseat.

Exposing a child to a hour of smoke in a car is like giving them an entire pack of cigarettes, Habib said. Second-hand smoke has been linked to a host of health problems including ear infections, lung cancer, asthma and heart problems, he added.

A recent Ipsos-Reid poll found the majority of Ontarians were in favour of a ban, including 66 per cent of smokers surveyed, Habib said.

Liberal David Orazietti introduced a private member's bill last week which would allow a police officer to pull over anyone smoking in a car with kids and levy a fine of between $200 to $1,000.

The Canadian Press

Editor:

"It's a shame that it wasn't prohibited to smoke in a car with ANY person yet. I can think of many examples where an adult could also be the weaker party when being transported."