Patients dying on wait-lists is bad. People left without any care at all is worse. Medicare wait lists cause untold suffering. But, at least you get on the list even if you live in poverty.
We cannot call for Medicare change without a plan to care for the poor and isolated. As the system runs out of money, those who can, fly to Quebec or the US for care. Despite the fact our current system lags in the care it offers those living in poverty, society will not change Medicare without assurance that change will provide for those who cannot purchase or access it.
Poor makes rich people wince with political correctness. Whatever term you choose (economically marginalized?), great healthcare systems need to provide for the poor and isolated; those who cannot access care.
Poor isn’t just sleeping on the street. For instance, many students are extremely poor. After a medical school lecture on poverty, a small group of us realized we had all been living below the poverty line for years. For those avoiding debt, there was very little to live on. Furthermore, isolation does not have to mean living more than a few hours from an airport. It could mean living close to services but without access.
How might we offer care and choice for those who cannot pay? Three brief options:
- have tax-funded (“free”) healthcare running parallel with other options (like Europe)
- provide vouchers to purchase transportation and care where patients choose (or when Medicare waits get too long)
- allow providers and organizations to recover costs for those who cannot pay by accessing tax dollars
The majority supports care for all, especially those who cannot care for themselves. A vision for healthcare must include a plan to care for all.
(photocredit: toronto.ctvnews.ca)