Dear editor,
A recent poll by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) shows that a majority of Canadians are worried about being able to pay for the health services they’ll need after they retire.
Not all health-care services are covered by Medicare, a fact which causes many seniors to feel increasingly vulnerable.
The government likes to tell us that our Medicare system is one of the best in the world, but of the 11 countries ranked by the Commonwealth Fund, Canada is the second from the bottom at number 10.
We have the worst “timeliness of care”, the second-worst overall efficiency and the longest wait times in emergency rooms.
By 2030, 25 per cent of Canadians will be over 65. We need a national health care strategy to address the growing needs of an aging population, and we need it now.
Unfortunately, the Conservative government is committed to cutting health-care funding by $36 billion over a 10-year period, starting in 2017.
The NDP, Liberals and Greens and are all committed to making a national strategy part of their election platforms.
I urge you to think carefully about the health-care system you want for yourselves and your children when you vote in the next federal election.
Kathie Woodlie
Courtenay