NDP's Duh'Oh

Canadian press reported that Homer Layton, err Jack Simpson, err no make that Jack Layton needs to clean up his clarity act around Health Care. Its a faux pas, an opps worse a Duh' Oh the NDP does NOT need but well stuff happens.....
NDP Leader Jack Layton said private clinics are a “fundamental aspect” of the health-care system founded by former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas and not much can be done about them.
Mr. Layton was trying to take advantage of a slow day on the part of the other leaders to frame the debate around the health-care issue. But he ended up leaving reporters following his campaign stumped about his position. Being generous the CP wire story entitled their story; Layton seems to support private clinics.

By the end of the day no matter the clarification given the headlines were reading;

Not opposed to private health care, Layton says

Layton softens stand on clinics

Layton not going to shut down private clinics, just stop the flow ...

NDP Would Keep Private Clinics Open: Layton

Which means his media handlers went wonky on their messaging leaving the NDP with a bad day for headlines. Lost in the headlines is what Jack wanted to say because he and his handlers said too much.

His speech yesterday was focused on the views of Liberal Senator Michael Kirby, whom he described as the "Wizard of Oz of health-care privatization."

Mr. Layton said both Mr. Harper and Mr. Martin support Mr. Kirby's proposals, as outlined in a Senate committee report, for privately delivered health care provided Canadians do not have to pay for it out of pocket.

Mr. Layton said the health-care platforms of the Liberals and Conservatives are indistinguishable and only the NDP would stop public money going to private health care.

This is what the headlines should have been, Layton would halt funding for private clinics but by trying to clarify, the NDP lost control of the messaging and it ended up coming out like this;

But when asked afterward about the specifics of his position, Mr. Layton suggested an NDP government would not do anything to stop such clinics provided they are 100-per-cent private.

"That's not our concern. What I've said is we would stop the flow of public money to the Copeman clinic," he said.

Some services at the Copeman Healthcare Centre, considered a mostly private clinic, are covered by the B.C. Medical Services Plan.

When asked if such a position would allow the two-tier health-care system his party has long opposed, Mr. Layton said that entirely private health care has always been an option for Canadians.

"That's been available since medicare was established. That's a fundamental aspect of what Tommy Douglas established in Canada. There's nothing new about that," he said.

"Our focus is on what happens to the public tax dollars that we all contribute to help take care of Canadians. We don't want them going to the American-style, for-profit health corporations that end up skimming off profits instead of financing people's health care."

The problem isn't just private clinics, in fact in Alberta the clinic I go to is private, the family doctors are all independent businessmen, part of an overall conglomerate they have bought into. In other private clinics called medi-centres doctors are available and they run these as franchises all paid for by Medicare.

Jack is right in principle the way Medicare funds doctors currently allows for a form of privatized delivery. That is the flaw in the system that pays out doctors on the basis of billing.

As I wrote here we need to create a publicly funded medicare system that proletarianizes medical services, doctors on salary, with clincs publicy funded as non-profit co-ops delivering multiple services including dentistry, psychological/psychiatric, naturopathy as well as allopathy, chiropractors, as well as pshysiotherapies, and wellness programs.

I gave the example of the Boyle McCauley Clinic in the inner city in Edmonton where such a program is done and the doctors, dentists and nurse practicioners are on salary. Such clinics are not limited to this kind of delivery to just the poor. It needs to be generalized. This is where Layton should have given his speech, and this is the alternative delivery system we need to make REAL Health Care reform. All else will be band aids.

Currently Family Health Centres are being tried in Ontario, where clinics like the one I go to are not availble. However while based on the Boyle McCauley model they still are allowing the doctors to bill for services rather than putting them on salary.