The NDP is calling on the provincial government to pass legislation banning all “members-only medicine.”
Health Critic David Shepherd says reports of some clinics planning to charge patients for faster access to family doctors raises several concerns.
“Under the Canadian health care system under Medicare, nobody is supposed to pay to be able to see a family doctor. That should not be a barrier for folks. So when we have a situation where folks who may potentially not have that kind of dollars being told, if you don’t pay $5000 a week, you only get one day a week where you can see your doctor. That’s deeply concerning.”
Sheperd says if the UCP doesn’t take action, the NDP will try to get a private member’s bill against membership fees passed in the house when it resumes in October.
He adds that while the UCP spoke out against one clinic in Calgary doing this, they’re not the only ones in Alberta.
“They are refusing to take action against a number of other clinics who have been practicing this kind of model, this sketchy kind of thing where they talk about pay us a membership fee and we’ll get your blood work or diagnostic scans faster. These are questionable things we had started to look into while we were in government.”
Our full interview with Shepherd can be heard below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
