The CSN commissioned a survey of Quebecers on the health system. No surprise, the mood is neither one of rejoicing nor great optimism. For decades, the population has been aging, needs have increased while the system has become more entrenched. As a result, it is not always easy to be cared for.
This survey provided fundamental data to fully understand what is happening. Many Quebecers say they are depriving themselves of health care, due to waiting and the difficulty of finding access. Last year, this was the case for 43% of the population!
Why is this number so important? Because it is not the result of chance. Canada has chosen to offer free health care. It is forbidden to charge for services in the public network, it is not even legal to set up a co-payment in the emergency. Few countries have made this choice. We understand why when we see our results.
Free
The economic theory is simple and clear: when a good or service is free, demand naturally explodes. Forget the balance between supply and demand when the price is zero. We must therefore find other ways to restrict demand. In most cases, this obstacle is waiting.
In communist countries, the government set the price of bread at a level that made it accessible to everyone. Nice principle of equality, but in practice you had to wait hours to get a piece of bread and there was none left for the last ones in the line…
This is a bit like what happens in health. The length of the wait and the complexity of accessing services put a damper on the demand for services and thus keep costs under control. In other words, the 43% who deprive themselves of service is not an accident, it is by design in the so-called free and universal Canadian health care system.
Ultimately, everything must have a price. In the case of health care in Canada, past governments made the choice that the price could not be financial. The price would therefore become time. To wait for.
Do I have time?
There were fears that people without money would be poorly cared for. We decided that money would no longer be a factor. The new factor in obtaining care will be to devote time.
What we overlooked was that the burden had just been shifted onto the backs of people who don’t have time. Self-employed people, small business owners, farmers, everyone who can’t waste a full day to go see a doctor for five minutes.
These busy people become the uncared for. Unfortunately, it turns out that these people are also the government’s cash cow. It is on their shoulders (especially their taxes) that our entire beautiful social system rests.
Are we surprised that some of them go to the private sector?
