Re - the question of profit-making in Canadian health care... I
didn't think that the Independent Facilities Act prevents profit
making. It does require that charges for procedures are capped at OHIP
rates. Clinics operating under the Act can therefore operate at a
profit, or might operate on a cost-neutral basis, or flow any surplus
towards education or the opening of other clinics.
I dont know whether the Act prevents a clinic from going public -
i.e., issuing shares as a public company. I am sure that the
Morgentaler clinics have not done this and hence it would not be
possible to buy shares. This does not mean that the clinics are not
making a profit, as they are entitled to do. I don't know what the
difference is between this situation and that being proposed by Mr.
Klein. Can anyone provide more detail? Thanks.
Marie Boutilier