Funding Healthcare

Our dauntless leader may have been partially correct when a few days ago he said we ought to hand over the keys for Cassellholme to the Dalton Gang. It s seems to be a continual struggle for our local municipality for find our ‘share’ of our healthcare cost. Our cradle-to-the-grave health system may be the envy of many countries, but how we are funding it leaves much to be desired.

A system that is supposed to be universally accessible by all Canadians ought to be centrally funded in total. We know that those who earn more pay more and that seems reasonable in our somewhat socialist health system. We also know that those of privilege and means can access better service than the rest of us. Those who live in larger metropolitan centers have quicker and often, improved access to care than people in smaller towns and remote areas. Yet we all expect, and get, health care from the time we are born until we shuffle off.

The Federal government supplies most of the funding for health services since it is supposedly universal. People move about, not only from town to city, but province to province. The Provinces kick in another share of the funds, and finally, the local municipality adds a few pennies more to make up the health care dollar. Ultimately, we all pay through our different taxes for our health care. I suppose there is some valid reason for these layers of funding that we often supplement with private donations, but when we have one funding ‘crisis’ after another at the local level, it seems we need a change.

Are the citizens of North Bay paying more for their health care than their counterparts in other parts of the country? If we are not, why does city council have to fight every step of the way for what they see as equal funding?

The new health care centre, which may get underway this fall if the tenders are not too high, requires so many tax dollars that council demurred at putting it on the tax bill. They instead decided to use the profit from Hydro to foot the bill over many years. Then, in an effort to keep us all healthy and free from such dangers as West Nile, we have to cough up more money to the District Health Unit. Moreover, because the hospital and Health Unit do such a fine job at keeping us alive, we have to add more dollars so we can die in semi-comfort at the Home for the Aged.

Of course we have to realize that our health tax dollars do bring us benefits other than a measure of good health. We pay the wages of nurses, doctors, dieticians, maintenance staff and administrators. We buy the supplies and food to look after us on our stay in the various institutions. We pay the wages for the folk who inspect our restaurants, make sure we get clean water and shots in the arms when they think we need them. It is all simply part of the redistribution of wealth that keeps our economy going.

So perhaps until we get a better system of collecting from the masses, our council ought to look at the various health care costs as an economic driver for the community. I am sure our fearless leaders will sleep much better by realigning their thinking to this positive approach to health care funding. On the other hand, if they want to worry whether our money is being used effectively, they should feel free to do so.