In order to make the shift from acute care to other types of care, you need the funding to put the pieces into place. To get the money you have to close the beds but you can't close the beds until you've got the money to send those patients somewhere else. Brenda Craig reports on a discussion among Canadian Health ministers on coping with budget cuts. The cuts took their toll all over the country. The results can be seen today on the streets of Toronto, as social service agencies struggle to deal with the glut of mentally ill, homeless, and addicted who can't get into care.
Canadian doctors eat up the second largest portion of the health care pie.
But ask doctors if they feel well compensated for the work load, and the answer is likely to be a resounding 'no'. Doctors complain that their workloads are heavier, and their fee schedules aren't keeping pace with reality. Many of them have stopped dispensing telephone advice or prescription refills for free, requiring patients to make an appointment. Sasa Petricic looks at how private health care spending is growing while public spending is on the decline. Some doctors have made noises about extra billing or opting out of universal health care altogether.