Skyvington on Medicare — Author of “This May Hurt A Bit”

One of the grumpiest politicians I ever knew said, “This is not a tea party.”

Often, medical politics is war. Opponents do not enter to fight fair.

I forget this all the time. Stephen Skyvington does not. He works to make opponents bleed. He published, This May Hurt A Bit: Reinventing Canada’s Health Care System with Dundurn Press in February.

I wrote this about it:

“One part memoir, two parts jeremiad, This May Hurt a Bit demands a discussion on healthcare. Skyvington pokes, prods, and provokes until he gets the debate Canadians need.”

Stephen kindly offered an interview. I do not agree with everything he says, but I admire his courage and insight. As a longtime pundit, organizer, and provocateur, I thought you might enjoy his comments.

Skyvington on Medicare

Q. Predict the future: In ten years…

A. As I say in the book, by 2030 we’ll either have bankrupted the country, have turned every road into a toll road and every school into a private school, or we’ll have ended up with the very thing people (including myself and Dr. [Brian] Day) say they don’t want, namely, a U.S.-style, two-tier health care system.

As former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty once said, “There’ll come a time when the only ministry we can afford is the ministry of health, and we still won’t be able to afford the ministry of health.”

Q. What is the #1 problem with Canada’s health care system? Continue reading “Skyvington on Medicare — Author of “This May Hurt A Bit””

Misplaced Pride? — 73% of Canadians Proud of Universal Healthcare

Universal healthcare made the top of a list of things identified as a very important source of personal or collective Canadian Pride.

The Association for Canadian Studies conducted a survey from June 28 to July 1, 2019.

The survey shows that 73% of Canadians found personal or collective pride in universal healthcare, 70% in the Canadian passport, 67% in the Canadian Flag, and 65% found pride in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The National Anthem and the Armed Forces also won more than 50% support.

Presentism

Things that impact the present and affect people personally ranked higher than concepts or historical events.

The 1867 Confederation Agreements won only 37% support and the Monarchy 15%. But without the British North America Act, Canada and universal healthcare would not exist. Something different than Canada would exist instead.

Low support for history runs though every social issue. Dreams about something different divide voters into two camps.

Some see history as an embarrassment. History limits our present greatness. We’d be better off forgetting it.

While others value the past because they appreciate the present. They do not see the past as perfect, but they love the past because it brought us the present.

Misplaced Pride?

Only 4% of Canadians need an acute care hospital bed in any given year. Most people never experience healthcare beyond twisted ankles and prescription refills. Continue reading “Misplaced Pride? — 73% of Canadians Proud of Universal Healthcare”

Three Kinds of Leaders — Why Health Care Struggles

Three kinds of leaders populate healthcare leadership.

They look similar, sit at the same tables, and often parrot other leaders. But they could not be more different.

Three Kinds of Leaders

I. Hobbyists

These people find leadership and politics interesting, even titillating, like collecting stamps or trivia.

II. Altruists

These people see leadership as a way to solve problems and improve the world, whether the world wants it or not. Continue reading “Three Kinds of Leaders — Why Health Care Struggles”