Members of Airdrie’s medical community are hosting a town hall March 10, to address the provincial government’s recent cuts to the health care sector. The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place in the Rotary Room at the Genesis Place Recreation Centre from 6 to 8 p.m.
Dr. Fozia Alvi, chair of the Airdrie Community Physicians Association, said the meeting will delve into the concerns physicians across Alberta have expressed in recent months surrounding adjustments to family medicine and the province’s health insurance plan.
“It’s very important to educate the public and patients how the United Conservative Party government is tearing up their health system,” said Alvi, a physician at Doctors Plus Medical Centre in Airdrie.
The government’s proposed adjustments to the province’s health care insurance plan, revealed in November 2019, include reducing the time modifier for appointment times, no longer paying for senior drivers’ mandatory medical exams and reducing the stipend for on-call doctors in rural communities, among others. The adjustments have drawn ire from doctors throughout Alberta, who warn the changes will impact the quality of health care in the province.
More cuts were revealed last month when the province announced a new plan for physician compensation, which was imposed on doctors after a breakdown in talks with the Alberta Medical Association, and tabled Budget 2020.
The new physician compensation plan includes limiting what doctors are paid for longer appointments and undisclosed cuts to pay for physicians who work inside publicly funded facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes. The Alberta Medical Association said a provincial budget caps total physician compensation at $5.4 billion, translates to a 20 per cent cut as costs go up and billing fee changes kick in.
Budget 2020 outlined only a slightly higher heath care budget from the previous year, $20.8 billion, and introduced a proposed plan that will double the current number of surgeries performed in private facilities. The plan would see an additional 80,000 additional surgeries performed by the end of 2023, with a goal of 30 per cent completed at private facilities.
The Ministry of Health has defended the cuts, stating the adjustments would bring Alberta’s health-care spending in line with other provinces. In 2017, Alberta was the province that spent the second-most, per capita, on healthcare in Canada, according to 2017 data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, with only Newfoundland and Labrador spending more.
“It’s not a matter of the cuts – we’re willing to contribute to the cuts and the economy, because we know lots of people are losing jobs,” Alvi said. “But lots of my family physicians, colleagues and myself are feeling disrespected by the government, that we were not involved with the negotiations.
“We should be consulted, because we’re the experts in family medicine. We know the pulse of the community, so we know we’re the backbone of the health structure.”
Alvi said the organizers have invited several politicians to the town hall, including local MLAs, Health Minister Tyler Shandro and Premier Jason Kenney.
“I encourage everyone to come and attend – patients, teachers, lawyers, because we are all patients...so all of us are going to suffer,” she said.
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
