AIMS On-Line for early January 2003
Here is what's new at AIMS, Atlantic Canada's Public Policy Think Tank
AIMS On-Line for late December 2002
Two new Healthcare background papers - Improving Canadian Health Care: Better Ways to Finance Medicare, Medicare and User Fees: Unsafe at any Price? Plus AIMS in Maine on Canadian health care, AIMS Borderlines conference and Jack Granatstien comes for lunch.
We Can’t Spend Like this Anymore
Unhealthy spending threatens health care
The Non-Sustainability of Health Care Financing Under the Medicare Model
The Non-Sustainability of Health Care Financing Under the Medicare Model, argues that, without real substantial reform, we are not going to escape our place as the big spenders on health care any time soon.
Expenditure on Medical Care in Canada
Brian Ferguson, Guelph University health economist and author says, medicare’s much-heralded success at cost control is illusory. Simply put, the introduction of medicare did not introduce a period of health care cost control in Canadian health spending.
Canadian health care not cure-all
As Canadians struggle with how to repair our increasingly overwhelmed health care system, some of our neighbours to the south are considering copying our system. They need to be careful not to repeat our mistakes. AIMS President, Brian Lee Crowley, was recently invited by the Maine Public Policy Institute to Portland, Maine to compare the US and Canadian health care systems and to offer advice on how the Americans might improve upon our experience as they look to move to a public, single payer system along Canadian lines. As the Bangor Daily News reports, Crowley says that, “(b)oth Canada and the United States are only middling programs, we both have much to learn from other places.” Crowley said France, which has both public and private systems providing health care, offers some lessons for those looking to reform. The WHO rates France as having the best health care system in the world. Publication: Bangor Daily News, December 12, 2002
Alphabet soup of federal programs is bad for Atlantic Canada
In this editorial from the 12 December 2002 edition of the National Post the writer echoes AIMS’ oft repeated concerns about the negative economic effects of the over $180 billion in federal transfers into Atlantic Canada since the 1950’s. Targeting the recently released report about the Fishers Employment Insurance program the writer highlights the disincentives to finding long-term employment created by a program where, in some cases, you can "qualify(ing) for [FEI] benefits with as little as a day's fishing effort, and collecting benefits for the rest of the season."
AIMS in Maine on Canadian health care
Interest in the Canadian health care system remains high in the United States. Given the prominence AIMS has achieved in the health care file in this country, Institute President Brian Lee Crowley was recently invited to a major Maine Public Policy Institute health care conference in Portland, Maine, to talk about the relevance of the Canadian model to the US.
Restoring prices for services drives productivity & efficiency in Swedish health care
One of AIMS most popular commentary series. Johan Hjertqvist, internationally known health care reformer, discusses the positive effects of the reintroduction of prices for health care procedures.
Newfoundland Exploration Industry Faces Highest Taxes in Country; A heck of a way to treat your local heroes
As AIMS Fellow on Newfoundland Issues, Peter Fenwick says in this new piece, in 1996 Voisey's Bay discoverers Al Chislett and Chris Verbiski were Canadian prospectors of the year; feted in their home province of Newfoundland, and given honourary degrees from Memorial University. They were the home-grown boys who would lead Newfoundland to prosperity. But that most-favored-son status didn't last long. Today their exploration company, Archean has the dubious distinction of being the highest taxed company in Canada. The two prospectors are now considering moving their company to a lower taxation province.