“One of the greatest freedoms we have here in Canada is that if you need to see a doctor, the only card you need is a health card, not a credit card,” said Carla Beck, Saskatchewan NDP Leader. “Public healthcare was born here in Saskatchewan, and we’re going to keep it free here in Saskatchewan.”
Bill No. 614 — The Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance (Banning Private Fees) Amendment Act comes after Premier Scott Moe told Rebel News earlier this year that his government is actively looking to Alberta for a “new way” of delivering healthcare. Danielle Smith introduced legislation that would allow residents to be charged unlimited fees for medically necessary care, swinging the door open to private American-style medical insurance companies and two-tier healthcare.
Critics say this legislation violates Sections 18 and 19 of the Canada Health Act, which prohibits extra billing and user charges for insured health services, and have called on Scott Moe to clearly rule out a similar move.
The Saskatchewan NDP bill would amend The Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Act to explicitly ban extra billing and access fees for medically necessary care, ensuring patients cannot be charged for treatment that is covered under Saskatchewan’s public healthcare system. That includes so-called “membership” or “access” fees that would allow some patients to pay for faster appointments or quicker treatment.
The bill also requires that any access fees charged to a patient be reimbursed back to them and that any patient being charged privately for insured services be notified in writing that the service is publicly available at no private charge.
“The answer to the healthcare crisis isn’t asking people to whip out their credit cards,” said Shadow Health Minister Meara Conway, who introduced the bill. “It’s investing in frontline services and people, not giving big raises to Scott Moe’s political buddies leading the provincial health authority.”
The push towards private payments is happening while Saskatchewan families are already struggling to access care and afford the basics. Doctors have fled the province; rural emergency rooms close without warning, and patients turning up to city hospitals are being forced to receive care in hallways and waiting rooms because there are no available beds.
“After acknowledging the Sask. Party is ‘standing still,’ what we see is more of the same,” said Conway. “It’s a recycled ‘Patient First’ plan and doubling down on Sask. Party privatization experiments that have not produced better results for the people of this province – often sending precious public dollars out of province to Sask. Party donors.
“The introduction of this bill represents another opportunity for Scott Moe to unequivocally put these fears to rest. Tell Saskatchewan people he won’t move to a system where his wealthy friends and insiders can skip the line.”
Carla Beck’s team is continuing to consult on delivering big, bold change in Saskatchewan healthcare. All Saskatchewan people are welcome to provide their input at YourCareYourSay.ca.