Wait list insurance a tough sell among medicare supporters
20.05.2008 23:00
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
A Calgary-based insurance company is hoping to convince Canadians that timely access to medical care is worth a price. But the insurance coverage is attracting a fair bit of scrutiny from regulators and critics who feel the product perpetuates the belief that the system is inherently flawed. Wait list insurance was first promoted as an addition to group insurance packages for companies in Calgary. More than two years later, it can be purchased in five provinces, most recently in Ontario. Susan Warner, a professional photographer based in Calgary, says that if she had known what was in store for her in the past few years, she would have bought the coverage in a heartbeat. She waited two years for surgery for an injured knee. The wait was so long that she became addicted to painkillers and ended up in rehab. "It was a nightmare what I went through, and I think every day: 'God, I hope I don't get sick,'" she told CBC News. "I do not want to be a victim of this system anymore. So if I could avoid that — absolutely I would. "I paid dearly … my health, my finances, everything was put on hold for two, almost three years. I don't want to go through that ever again." Warner says there must be ways to make the public health-care system better. Jim Viccars, president of Calgary-based Acure Health Corp., believes that the wait-list insurance his company offers actually improves the health-care system. How it worksThe coverage, which costs about $75 per individual a month, promises clients access to treatment if they have to wait longer than 45 days for care in the public health-care system. The caveat is that the treatment has to be in a private clinic and it can't be in the client's home province. Viccars says the insurance will reduce wait times by taking people out of the waiting line for publicly funded services. In the meantime, Acure Health continues to educate the pubic about the merits of buying wait-list insurance. "We've invested a lot of money getting education to distributors — we'll see return on that, " predict Viccars. But not everyone is as enthusiastic about wait-list insurance. Medical authorities in certain provinces, such as B.C.'s Medical Services Commission, are currently examining whether Acure's product is legal. Says Viccars: "Our policies comply in every province. We've [undertaken] considerable effort to make sure we're in compliance with all federal and provincial regulations." Just a bad idea: criticsAside from the legality, proponents of publicly funded care think it's just a bad idea. Raisa Deber, a professor in the department of health policy management and evaluation in the faculty of medicine at the University of Toronto, says progress has been made in reducing wait times in the public system. "It appears they've made excellent progress in most jurisdictions — especially when there's a danger to health," she said. And she says that people need to have faith in the system. "My opinion as a taxpayer is to make sure the system will be there when you need it rather than encouraging you to buy insurance on the assumption it won't be." Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksLong medical wait times hurt economy: CMA studyWait times for surgery, medical treatments at all-time high: reportHealth HeadlinesHRT safe in early postmenopause, international panel decidesAn international panel of menopause experts says that Hormone Replacement Therapy, as long as it's taken for a few years in the early menopausal period, is safe. Wait list insurance a tough sell among medicare supportersA Calgary-based insurance company is hoping to convince Canadians that timely access to medical care is worth a price. But the insurance coverage is attracting a fair bit of scrutiny from regulators and critics. Vaccination rates higher among kids from immigrant moms, study findsMore Canadian kids of immigrant mothers are being vaccinated, finds a new study, though the overall rate of vaccinations could be improved among both immigrant and non-immigrant groups. Public health turns to virtual worlds to spread health messagesPublic health officials are using new tools — social media, social networking and cellphone texting — to disseminate health promotion messages. 8,000 Ont. chronic disease deaths preventable each year: reportThousands of lives in Ontario could be saved if the province did more to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, according to a new report. Health FeaturesENVIRONMENTClassifying chemicals'Batch 2' up for reviewCONSUMERCalorie trackerIN DEPTHHRTThe risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy HealthVitamin DBoning up on the sunshine vitaminVIDEOFitnessAre Wii fit? (Runs 4:49)People who read this also read …
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