Canadian Doctors for Medicare

[kiefer_fan]

Below is a letter from Canadian Doctors for Medicare. It's a great group with an important cause and a growing number of publications. You can join for free by visiting http://www.canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca, and they also just started a Facebook group. They are looking for students from the University of Saskatchewan who can distribute this letter to the student list-serve.

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Attention Canadian medical students,

 

As future physicians we have an important say in the direction of our health care system and the kind of care our patients receive.

 

Currently a small but vocal group of physicians and supporters including the incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association are advocating for private for-profit health care over our universal publicly funded system. If successful they could cause enormous harm.

 

The best available national and international evidence affirms that publicly-financed physician and hospital services are more equitable and more efficient than those that are privately financed. In fact, private for-profit clinics actually increase wait times in the public system by siphoning off health care professionals and cream-skimming the least medically complicated cases. They are also more costly to operate and regulate. Yet clinics that allow out-of-pocket payment for medically necessary services continue to surface, and the federal and provincial governments have been slow to shut them down.

 

At the same time, success stories across the country prove that wait-time reduction and increased efficiency can be achieved through innovative strategies within Medicare.

 

Canadian Doctors for Medicare emerged in 2006 as a group of physicians, residents, medical students and friends committed to a health care system where access is based on need and not ability to pay. Our approach is evidence-based and grounded in clinical experience. In one year, membership has exceeded 1000 and we have become a highly credible and sought-after voice in the public-private debate.

 

But we need more physicians and future physicians to speak out in support of Medicare. That’s why we are asking you to join now.

 

Membership is free for all medical students. Visit canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca to join, examine the evidence, read our publications, and learn about Medicare. You may also wish to join our Facebook group or ask about starting or joining a chapter at your school.

 

Help strengthen and protect Medicare for our future patients. For questions, email info@canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Jonathan DellaVedova Joanna Oda

CDM Board of Directors CDM Board of Directors

NOSM Class of 2009 University of Ottawa Class of 2009