To build up their privatized parallel system, Alberta government officials have explicitly said they intend to poach medical personnel from other provinces..could prompt other provinces to adopt [two tier] to retain their doctors, setting off a race to the bottom of privatization.

The Carney government, however, has been more focused on stepping back from health care, rather than stepping up to defend it.

The likely consequences .. are longer wait-times and worsening staffing shortages in public hospitals, as private clinics drain away doctors, nurses and other health-care workers. For workers and businesses, that will mean higher insurance premiums, .. and fewer jobs offering extended health benefits.

Like many industries in Canada, the health insurance industry is basically three companies in a trenchcoat ... Manulife, Canada Life, and Sun Life

The Breach show that behind the scenes, private health insurance giants—Manulife, Canada Life, and Sun Life—and their lobbyists are, in their own words, “key partners” of the Smith government’s efforts to craft a two-tier health-care system.

While doctors and other stakeholders have been shut out of the policymaking process, the Smith government is consulting with private insurers on the “technical implementation” of Bill 11. The UCP government even set up a working group of insurance industry insiders to oversee its changes to regulations..

industry representatives themselves have admitted it will open a “Pandora’s box” of privatization that will spread to all medical services..

The Alberta Medical Association, which represents the province’s doctors, told journalists that it was completely in the dark about Bill 11 before its public release. "

#cdnpoli #abpoli
https://breachmedia.ca/pandoras-box-danielle-smith-and-insurance-giants-unleash-attack-on-healthcare/