November 28, 2002
Alberta leads Romanow on health reform
In January 2000, Premier Ralph Klein appointed 12 national and international experts, led by the Right Honourable Don Mazankowski, to advise the Alberta government on how to keep public health care accessible and sustainable.
In January 2002, the Premier’s Advisory Council on Health released its report, A Framework for Reform. The Alberta government immediately produced an action plan, and for almost a year, has been acting on that plan.
In November 2002, after an 18-month consultation that cost $15 million, Roy Romanow’s one-person commission concluded public health care is sustainable if Canadians are willing to make changes. In some cases, the Romanow report agrees with Alberta’s direction. In some cases, it conflicts with our solutions.
More federal control over Alberta health care?
Mr. Romanow proposes national solutions, in which provinces and territories answer to a non-elected body on which all of western Canada shares one representative. He proposes that reporting be included in the Canada Health Act, so the federal government has another reason to withhold money and another means to impose its will. In return, we share in billions of dollars, all of it with strings attached.
The one thing as valuable as more funding is more flexibility. Alberta, like many provinces, wanted the Canada Health Act opened to create that flexibility. Mr. Romanow seeks to make it more restrictive, by incorporating provincial reporting to a national body and by adding in a range of services, conditions and costs.
We agree some solutions are national. We disagree the only solutions are national. Canada already has a body to achieve national solutions and accountability where it is appropriate. That body is called the Council of Ministers of Health. It is made up of elected people who report back to their constituents. In recent years, our relationship has strengthened, as seen in our recent agreement on a national drug program.
Alberta’s health care system is unique and our diversity is reflected in our different medical services and models. We are accountable to Albertans for health care - not to an unelected council.
The Alberta government looks forward to exploring where the options and recommendations in the Romanow report can support our own health reform efforts in Alberta. We will continue to work within our own province and with our colleagues across the country, to make use of innovative and practical solutions that do not diminish our responsibilities to our citizens, or our flexibility in meeting them.
| Alberta health reforms underway |
Does Romanow agree? |
Staying healthy
- Higher tobacco taxes and public information already cut tobacco sales by 14 per cent this year.
- Developing 10-year health targets for preventable disease.
- Working on a health information campaign to help Albertans make healthier choices.
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Alberta is taking action to prevent disease and improve health.
Alberta rates above the national average on many health indicators. |
Improving access to care
- Posting wait times on the Internet by spring 2003.
- Province-wide health information by phone by the summer.
- Health regions contract with private and non-profit providers to deliver health care services more effectively.
- Expanding primary health care beyond the 100 different programs already in place.
- Developing a comprehensive workforce plan.
- Broader scopes of practice for health professionals, such as having licenced practical nurses provide immunizations and allowing nurse practitioners to work in any setting.
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- Wants improved access, but reject private providers as offering services in parallel, for a fee.
- Wants national health council to produce national workforce plan.
Alberta has a long and varied list of actions to improve access, including posting wait times on the Internet.
Alberta is already developing a comprehensive workforce plan.
In Alberta, there is only one access for insured services¾through the health system¾ and only one payer¾the Alberta taxpayer.
Private providers offer insured services only under contract to health regions, at no additional cost to patients.
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Accountability
- Health Reform Implementation Team overseeing progress and reporting to Albertans on health reform.
- Health Services and Utilization and Outcomes Commission monitors system performance and effectiveness.
- Multi-year performance contracts for regional health authorities targeted by April 2003.
- Alberta reports on nationally comparable health results.
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- Develop better ways to monitor health care system performance and better data to manage waiting lists
Alberta is working to improve access, including posting wait times on the internet.
Alberta is above average in key health indicators.
Alberta disagrees with targeted funding. |
Paying for health care
- Revised health care premium rates and benefit plans.
- Expert Advisory Panel on Publicly Funded Health Services reviewing what the public system should pay for.
- Encourage more federal funding for health.
- Agreed to a national drug review plan to improve approval.
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- Establish minimum threshold of federal funding.
- Provide some short-term investments.
Alberta has long recommended the federal government pay its fair share of health funding.
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Invest in technology
- Pilot testing electronic health records so professionals can share health information quickly, accurately and securely.
- More rural sites are being linked electronically so radiology images can be viewed on-line for expert evaluation.
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- Develop national electronic health records
Alberta has begun work on developing a comprehensive electronic health record system.
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| Romanow Recommends |
Alberta Agrees |
Alberta is Taking Action |
Alberta Disagrees |
| Access |
| Shorten waiting lists |
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| Health Care Providers |
| Create teams of primary health care providers to deliver services |
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| Retract and retain more health care providers in rural communities |
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| Health Care Services |
| Catastrophic drug coverage |
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| Homecare/palliative care services |
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| Technology |
| Establish an electronic health record |
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| Funding |
| Increased federal funding |
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| Dictate to provinces how that money is spent |
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| Accountability |
| Health care decisions by an un-elected national council |
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| Canada Health Act |
| Revise Act to restrict provincial flexibility by imposing new conditions |
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| Private Providers |
| No private providers of publicly funded medical services |
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Archived news releases are available on the Government of Alberta's website.
