Hi Madeline,
Thanks for keeping me on your contact list. I always appreciate getting your
perspective on these issues and the energy you have for staying on top of
things. We are doing some work on values and ethics in medicine these days
and this issue is an important one for all Canadians.
Best regards, 

Dorothy

---
Dorothy Strachan
Strachan-Tomlinson
31 Euclid Avenue
Ottawa Ontario Canada K1S 2W2
Tel: 613-730-1000  Fax: 613-730-0014
website: www.strachan-tomlinson.com

For our latest book:
http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787987271.html
-- 

On 8/23/07 6:30 PM, "Madeline Boscoe" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> hello folks: I thought everyone on this list
> would likely be very interested in report
> illuminating the sad state of affairs within the
> Canadian Medical association and the assault on medicare
> 
> 
>> August 24, 2007
>> 
>> UPDATE FROM THE CMA MEETING - Vancouver August 19-22
>> 
>> Dear Colleagues:
>> 
>> We have just returned from the Canadian Medical
>> Association annual meeting where Dr. Brian Day
>> officially became President of CMA. In light of
>> the week¹s events, it is now more clear than
>> ever that the voice and perspective provided by
>> Canadian Doctors for Medicare is a vital one.
>> 
>> Near-Miss on Motion to Support User Fees for Services Covered by Medicare
>> 
>> A motion from the OMA caucus to open the Canada
>> Health Act and with a view to establishing
>> "co-payments and health savings accounts," was
>> defeated only by the narrowest of margins,  with
>> 50% of voting delegates opposed, 48% in favour and 2% abstaining.
>> 
>> This despite the overwhelming Canadian and
>> international evidence that user
>> fees/co-payments threaten access to care for the
>> most vulnerable populations, do not decrease
>> ³unnecessary² physician visits, and do not curb healthcare costs.
>> 
>> Though we were relieved that the motion did not
>> pass, it is disturbing to think that nearly half
>> of voting delegates could consider supporting a
>> motion so out of touch with the evidence, with
>> the views of Canadians, and with the values of
>> Medicare.  Physicians should not be at the
>> vanguard of advocating measures which are
>> unpalatable to expert bodies, policy-makers and
>> politicians of every stripe. To come so close to
>> doing so only risks further marginalizing the
>> profession. We certainly intend to follow up
>> with delegates with an evidence-based
>> backgrounder on user fees and co-payments.
>> The fact that this resolution garnered such
>> substantial minority support affirms the
>> critical need for physicians who oppose such
>> measures to express their views by joining
>> CDM.  On this basis, we ask you to forward this
>> email to several colleagues and encourage them
>> to join us 
>> at 
>> <http://www.canadiandoctorsformedicare.ca/membershiprenewal.html>http://www.c
>> anadiandoctorsformedicare.ca/membershiprenewal.html
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Canadian Doctors for Medicare A Strong Presence at Council
>> 
>> We had a prominent display table outside the
>> General Council meeting room, which was well
>> received by many physicians, did many media
>> interviews, and personally delivered 300 CDM
>> information folders to delegates and media containing:
>> 
>> ·         Backgrounders on the reality of
>> parallel private systems in western Europe and
>> the ³payment by results² method of hospital funding
>> 
>> ·         A new brochure on CDM and our goals
>> 
>> ·         Success stories in Medicare ­ evidence
>> of how our system¹s challenges can be overcome
>> without sacrificing our values of equity,
>> efficiency, and quality for all our patients
>> 
>> ·         A list of academic references in
>> support of publicly funded health care
>> 
>> ·         An invitation to a free film screening
>> following the CMA welcome reception ­ see below!
>> 
>> CDM Hosts Standing-Room Only Screening of Sicko! for MDs and the Public
>> 
>> Immediately following the CMA welcome reception,
>> CDM board members Danielle Martin and Bob
>> Woollard presented a modified version of our new
>> Grand Rounds on the evidence for
>> publicly-funded, single payer health care to a
>> packed audience of physicians and members of the
>> public. We followed this with a free screening
>> of Michael Moore¹s SICKO! The event was so
>> well-attended that we had to turn over 50 people away at the door.
>> 
>> 
>> Canadian Doctors for Medicare Views Shared by the Majority of CMA Members
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> While the CMA leadership did not draw attention
>> to this, the CMA¹s own online member
>> consultation survey released in 'Conversations
>> with Colin' confirmed that 60% of physicians
>> believe our current mix of public funding should
>> either be maintained or the public portion
>> expanded, with only 38% in favour of increasing
>> the private proportion of healthcare spending.
>> 
>> CDM Board Meeting Outcomes
>> 
>> We had a very productive Board meeting while in
>> Vancouver, attended by several Vancouver-based
>> CDM members as well as the Board and advisors.
>> Stay tuned for an invitation to our first
>> official Annual Meeting of Members, likely to
>> take place in January 2008! In the meantime, we
>> will be launching our Grand Rounds at the
>> upcoming Royal College and CFPC meetings in the
>> fallŠstay tuned for more information!
>> 
>> Good news on CMA Motions Advocating for Expansion of Medicare
>> In spite of the near miss on user fees, many
>> positive motions were passed at the CMA meeting.
>> These included motions supporting:
>> 
>>    * Several motions in support of extended public drug coverage
>>    * Provision of coverage of all drugs and immunizations to children
>>    * Social insurance to cover long term care
>>    * A review of the international evidence on payment by results
>> 
>> Overall, this year¹s CMA Council meeting raised
>> the profile of our organization and ensured that
>> a balanced perspective on Medicare-related
>> issues was provided both to delegates and the media.
>> As Brian Day takes on the CMA Presidency with an
>> ambitious plan to push for increased access to
>> private insurance, investor-owned, for-profit
>> delivery, ³competition² in healthcare and
>> ³choice² for patients, it is more important than
>> ever that physicians who believe in the principles of Medicare speak up!
>> Thank you for your support of Canadian Doctors for Medicare.
>> 
>> With best regards,
>> The CDM Board of Directors
>> 
>> Dr. Dale Dewar, Wynyard, Saskatchewan
>> Dr. John Gillis, Halifax, Nova Scotia
>> Dr. Nuala Kenny, Halifax, Nova Scotia
>> Dr. Mark Lachmann, Toronto, Ontario
>> Dr. Danielle Martin, Toronto, Ontario (Chair)
>> Dr. Margaret McGregor, Vancouver, British Columbia
>> Dr. Maurice McGregor, Montreal, Quebec (Vice-Chair)
>> Dr. Robert McMurtry, London, Ontario
>> Dr. John Morse, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
>> Dr. Tom Noseworthy, Calgary, Alberta (Secretary Treasurer)
>> Dr. James Orbinski, Toronto, Ontario
>> Dr. Paul Saba, Montreal, Quebec
>> Dr. John Wade, Manitoba
>> Dr. Robert Woollard, Vancouver, British Columbia
>> (Executive Committee, Member-at-Large)
>> Dr. Irfan Dhalla, Toronto, Ontario
>> Dr. Simon Turcotte, Montreal, Quebec
>> Jonathon DellaVedova, Medical Student, Sudbury, Ontario
>> Joanna Oda, Medical Student, Ottawa, Ontario
>> 
>> 
>> No virus found in this outgoing message.
>> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>> Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.2/967
>> - Release Date: 22/08/2007 6:51 PM
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
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