HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-05-29, Page 3News and Views
Huron Medical Society says:
Government forcing
doctors out of province
BY PATRICK RAFTIS
SSP News Staff
The provincial government
is charting a course for disas-
ter for Ontario's medical sys-
tem, particularly in rural
areas, with its restrictions on'
physicians earnings, says the
president of the Huron
Medical Society, Dr. Peter
Englert.
"Every year, as a physician
you'll provide more service
and you will be paid less.
And given the current rate, in
the year 2,000 physicians in
Ontario will be paying each
year to look after patients,"
Englert, a Grand Bend area
physician, told members of
the Zurich and Area Chamber
of Commerce at their May 21
meeting.
Englert was highly critical
of Mike Harris' Tory govem-
ment's handling of the med-
ical community through Bill
26, the controversial
Omnibus hill, passed earlier
this year.
He said the government has
been misleading the public
on physicians earnings to
make their cutbacks more
popular with the general pub-
lic.
"They'll always quote gross
income. Never net income, or
after expenses .... or they'll
go out and tout how they're
the best paid doctors here and
there," said Englert.
"In fact, I saw Mr. Harris on
TV a few weeks ago, telling
the doctors 'What are they
complaining about? We have
a signed agreement with
them and we're negotiating
right now.' As a physician
involved in these things
throyou thief. [can tell
you that= gh Bill 26 he
abolished a agreements with
physici abolished the
OMA as' resentative.
Aqd, theretc no negotia-
`'11(� �: • I have no idea what
ng about.'
rt said the government
has gone even further than
that "dissolving the rule of
law for physicians," by
breaking and imposing con-
tracts on them at will.
"And there's no recourse
through the courts, there's
nothing you can do about it,"
he said.
"No contracts are binding.
If Mr. Harris decides that this
doctor is going to go to
Hudson Bay and treat fish.
This doctor goes to Hudson
hay and treats fish.
"These are unprecedented
powers in peace time. But
they've all been 'inflicted on
physicians."
Englert said physicians
have been put in a "frighten-
ing" position as small busi-
ness people.
"You have certain services
you provide and you expect
to be paid for them so that
you can pay your office and
your staff and your light and
your heat and your insurance
bills and everything else that
you need in your practice and
what's left over -is your
income."
Englert said physicians can
have no certainty of income
under Bill 26, because the
government sets the fees
directly.
"He (Harris) can set a fee of
zero dollars and tell a physi-
cian to work for free."
Englert says the traditional
fee for service arrangement
provided for physicians under
01 -HP is no longer working.
"What happens is, there's a
fixed budget, and if more ser-
vices are provided in a year,
Mr. Harris the next year says,
'Well we're going to take that
money back. So we're going
to discount your fees.' The
discount right now is running
at 16 per cent over the two
years that this has been in
place sq far."
Medical graduates go south
The restrictions on physi-
cians income arc driving doc-
tors, particularly recent grad-
uates, either to the cities, or
out of the provincc,all togeth-
er, said Englert. Only 20 per-
cent of the medical graduates
at the University of Toronto
in June of 1995 stayed in
Ontario, he said citing a U of
T study.
"Eighty per cent left. They
went to the States: That is 'a
frightening number. We are
now producing graduates
who are trained to service the
needs of the United States of
America—.perio(.l.!"
Canadian fa.i ly physicians
going to the States can com-
mand starting salaries of
$140,000 to $150,000 (U.S.),
paid expenses such as mal-
practice insurance and educa-
tional leave and pay an effec-
tive tax rate 50 per cent of
what they would pay in
Canada, Englert stated. ' '
"Mr. Harris thinks he can
give them billing numbers
and say 'Well, you're a grad-
uate. You're going to practice
in North Nowhere.' No
they're not. They'll practice
in the U.S. of A," Englert
predicted.
Englert said that of the
PHOTO BY DAVID SCOTT
FLOWER PLANTING - As part of the celebrations for the
Victoria Order of Nurses (VON) Centennial next year, a
rosebush was donated by the VON to the Seaforth
Horticultural Society who planted it at Seaforth Community
Hospital last Tuesday afternoon. Looking on in the back
row is hospital CEO Bill Thibert and District VON Nurse Jan
Moore. Planting the new rosebush is Mary McLeod, left,
and Marjorie Phillips, horticultural society members.
Bail breach
charges will be
It with Friday
six bail breach charges
d against a Goderich man
will be dealt with when his
preliminary hearing resumes
Friday.
Former St. Columban resi-
dent Steve Murray, 46,
appeared briefly in court last
Wednesday (May 22) and
agreed to remain in custody in
Walkerton Jail until then.
Justice of the Peace Charles
Campbell, who works out of
London, presided over the
hearing.
Murray was arrested May
17 by investigators from the
Goderich Police and Goderich
OPP. Details of the charges
have not been released by
police. -
Murray was charged with
second-degree murder on
Sept. 15, 1995, in connection
with the disappearance of his
15 -year-old daughter, Mistie
Nicole Murray. She disap-
peared May 31, 1995, and has
not been seen since, nor has a
body been found. Murray
pleaded not guilty to the
charge and was released Oct.
4 on $125,000 bail. His pre-
liminary hearing began in
Goderich on Mar. 5, 1996.
A preliminary hearing is
held to determine whether
there is enough evidence
against' a person to put that
person on trial. It is illegal to
publish any evidence that is
heard during a preliminary
hearing, until either the
charges are dismissed or a
verdict has been rendered.
practicing physicians who are
leaving Ontario, 40 per cent
coni.: from northern and rural
arca\ Huron County alone
lost three physicians in the
past yea►, he added.
"They've gone to the city,
because why go on in rural
practice which is much more
demanding, much more diffi-
cult, when you can go the
city and have a much easier
practice, better quality of life
and the same income?"
Englert was critical of some
of Lhe options to the fee for
ser,ice system which were
discussed by the OMA and
the -government prior negotia-
tions breaking down.
Systems based on the
British "capitation," system
or the American trend toward -
Health 'Maintenance
Organizations result in mini-
mum level care, he said,
because costs are down-
loaded on the the individual
physician in the British
Model or the HMO adminis-
tration in the American sys-
tem.
Englert said the per capita
costs of the medical care arc
not unreasonable under the
current system. He said the
per capita costs in Ontario for
all family doctor ser -vices is
$105 per year, while the per
capita tab for all physicians
services (including special-
ists) is $300. per year.
"That's the cost for Ontario.
residents. Can you insure
your care for that? Not partic-
ularly expensive,' he com-
mented.
Englert said the OMA advo-
cates measures, such as
reopening some of the
"10,000 hospital beds we've
closed, but still'exist and start
marketing pur exccllvt
health care actively to U.S.
residents and residents of
other countries. -
During the term of the Rob
Rae NDP government,
Englert said University
Hospital proposed putting on
a new wing at no cost to tax-
payers to offer "their expert
medical care" to foreigners.
Under the proposal, he said,
profits from the operation
would have been used to sub-
sidize the Ontario part of the
hospital, said Englert.
"Of course that was imme-
diately kiboshed," he added.
Selling under -used capacity
of high tech equipment such
as MRI scanners'aftcr hours
would be another means of
raising funds to subsidize
health care in the province,
he suggested. ,
CONTINUED on page I7
May 22
Expositor
Exposed!
,The Ex -Files:
Spotted Mistakes:
1) Pg. I - "ways to restruc-
ture" - period missing - Jean
Bcmard
2) Pg. 2 - "Donuts, at
Railway Street of " - should
be "off" - Judy Lamont
3) Pg. 6 - "Thursday"
should be "Friday" in photo
cutlinc - Johanna Goodman
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, May 29, 19941-3
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