When Politicians Make Healthcare Decisions…

The current Ontario government is precipitating a health care crisis. What’s worse is that the government has anesthetized the public by diverting all focus onto physician income.

Ask yourself: which story is more publicized — so-called greedy physicians or a health care system choking on bureaucratic red tape? In this day and age of voyeuristic television, greedy doctors make for lively programming. Just like greedy unions, greedy teachers and greedy nurses.

And as the public watches “entitled” physicians struggle and crumble under the barrage of Liberal hostility, they miss the very real danger of a government stuffing an already glutted health care system with more administration. As David Gatzer pointed out, this is “a system designed for political popularity, not smart policy.”

The Ontario Liberals have been in power since 2003. During a reign marked by fiscal scandal, they have convinced the public that a politician makes better medical decisions than their own doctors and nurses. Although our health care system needs a massive overhaul, this government has dragged its heels.

Until 2012 when they commissioned the Drummond Report, a 20-year plan that meticulously lists hundreds of cost-saving recommendations across various public sectors, including health care. One of Drummond’s key recommendations: cut down on bureaucratic waste.

Given Premier Wynne’s platform promising debt reduction, one would expect her to gleefully announce every penny saved through these recommendations. Instead, we get silence.

Since that first 543-page report wasn’t detailed enough for the Wynne government, the Baker-Price report came along in 2014.

A light read at 34 pages, this report paints primary care reform in broad strokes, stating explicitly that its proposal needs further refinement. Yet, it is being implemented without further thought or contribution from vital stakeholders: front-line workers like physicians, nurses, or nurse practitioners; community agencies; local hospitals; or pre-existing government organizations like the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs). In characteristically impulsive fashion, the Liberal government has decided this report is the blueprint to a better health care system.

According to this proposal, every Ontarian will get medical access. Increased accessibility and patient satisfaction will equate to better pay. It seems like such a simple solution to something as convoluted as our health care system.

But to paraphrase Mencken: “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple and totally wrong.”

This story appeared here first: When Politicians Make Healthcare Decisions…