Sask. Opposition calls on province to end private-pay MRIs after Ottawa claws back $750k in health funding
CBC
Saskatchewan's Official Opposition is calling on the provincial government to stop its private-pay MRI program.
On Friday, Ottawa announced its decision to claw back nearly $750,000 in health transfers to Saskatchewan, due to patients being charged for medically necessary diagnostic imaging services through a private-pay program.
Exchanges between the Opposition NDP and Sask. Party government got heated during question period at the legislature on Monday. The NDP called the private-pay program a "failed for-profit American-style MRI experiment."
Sask. NDP Leader Carla Beck said the province broke the Canada Health Act.
"The Sask. Party knew from day one that they were breaking the law, knew that these cuts were coming, and still didn't do a thing," Beck said.
"Our hospitals are overflowing and the last thing anyone wants to see is even less funding."
But Health Minister Paul Merriman stood by the program.
"We have to leverage every option that we have on the table right now for our health-care system, and that is the private system, both publicly funded, but also private surgeries," Merriman said.
The health minister said 99 per cent of the scan costs are being covered by the provincial government, rather than taxpayers.
The NDP said that since Saskatchewan launched its private-pay MRI program in 2016, wait times for an MRI have not decreased, but have instead increased by 63 per cent.
The Opposition called on the provincial government to immediately stop the private-pay program and commit to strengthening "Canadian-style" public health care in the new budget, set to be released on March 22.
Merriman did not say the private-pay program would stop. In fact, he said it might even be expanded.
Under Saskatchewan's rules, when a private provider completes an MRI or CT scan that is paid for privately, they are required to conduct a second scan free of charge for an individual who is waiting on the public list, according to Merriman.
"No, we won't be changing this policy, Mr. Speaker, because it's on 15,000 scans, Mr. Speaker, that have been paid for by Saskatchewan people, which equals 30,000 scans that have actually been done for our province. This speeds up the process for surgeries, Mr. Speaker. The federal government has should not have done this," said Merriman.
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