[LabComm] BC Liberals admit at least 1100 Violations of the Canada Health Act and the Medicare Protection Act

[BC NDP Newswire]

BC Liberals admit at least 1100 Violations of the Canada Health Act and the Medicare Protection Act

About-face occurs three months after NDP raises concerns

VICTORIA - The BC Liberals have admitted to allowing at least 1100 violations of the Canada Health Act and the Medicare Protection Act three months after the NDP first revealed the Campbell government was turning a blind eye to private clinics to selling access to MRI testing. 

As a result of an investigation spurred by NDP questions, the government will now reimburse 1100 British Columbians who paid fees to get off long waiting lists for MRIs and other services at St. Paul's and Mount Saint Joseph's Hospital over the last four years.

"Gordon Campbell pays lip service to protecting public health care in BC, but he's allowing privatization to run rampant while ordinary people suffer on long wait lists." 

Under pressure from private clinic operators, Campbell pulled the plug on Bill-92, legislation that would have put a stop to the expansion of privatized health care. Unlike other provincial governments, the Campbell Liberals have refused to crack down on membership-fee schemes like the Copeman clinic. For almost a year, the BC Liberals did nothing while private owners prepared the launch of a for-profit ER. Now the BC Liberals have admitted that they allowed private companies to break the law by selling access to publicly-owned MRIs at two Vancouver hospitals.

"Gordon Campbell isn't doing anything to enforce the law," said Dix.  "Instead he has passed the buck to patients waiting for care to complain about extra-billing and violations of the Canada Health Act," said Dix.  "I am pleased that some patients will get their money back.  But there is still no relief from the BC Liberals for the thousands of others who are waiting too long for care."

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