Evening star., 1963-01-03


clans, fewer than 1875 are work,
ing directly under the scheme
The Keep-Our-Doctor Com
mittees that spearheaded thC
fight against the plan anC
M. Keen is q stoH writer for the
Edmonton CAlberto) Journal,
backed the doctors in theii
strike remain active. And the
doctors themse selves have
threatened to break the plan
one way or another, even
though 1t was modified at theil
behest to permit physicians to
work outside the scheme if they
choose.
The chief method of wreck
ing the plan could be to raise
its cost. The government ex-
poets it to cost about $2l mil
lion q year. But should doctors
embark on an intense cam
paign to recall patients foI
continued treatment, the ex-
pense to the government could
rise astronomically,
Doctors Opposition Plan
There also are indications
that doctors may be attempt
ing TO increase opposition to
the plan by charging the max
imum fees permitted to pa
tients under the PROVINCES plan
while charging is per cent less
to patients who continue asso-
citation with privately financed
insurance plans.
Working under private
health plans, doctors accept as
full payment for their services
IS per cent Of a fee schedule
worked out by the Saskatche-
wan College of Physicians and
Surgeo an organization
somewhat similar to a State
Medical Society in the United
States.
The Medical Care Commits
sion. which supervises the prov
ince's medical care program,
adopted a similar payment
scheme for patients participat-
ing in the state-sponsored
plan.
But many doctors who have
taken their option of not par
ticipating directly in the plan
are charging patients the full
100 per cent fee. The patient
submits his bill to the Medical
Care Commission for reim-
bursement, but the commits
sion reimburses only to the ex-
tent of IS per cent. Thus 1t
costs some patients more under
the state scheme than under
private insurance plans.
The Doctors Complaint
When the plan went into ef-
feet, doctors almost unanimous.
ly complained that it did not
permit doctors to work outside
it, The doctors wanted no con-
tact with the politically-ap-
pointed Medical Care Commits
sion set up to handle the whole
business.
The doctors finally agreed to
work when the government ap-
proved their recommendations
and called a special session of
the legislature to amend the
act so that doctors could work
outside the Medical Care Com
mission, even though their pa
tients could expect government
reimbursement one way or the
other.
Before the compromise was
reached Saskatchewan's 900
doctors, almost to a man. had
defied the governments scheme
and refused to work. They closed
their offices and two-thirds of
them left the province either
on holidays or for good. A
skeleton staff was left to man
35 emergency center hospitals
No routine surgery was done
during the 23-day walkout by
the doctors, and 1t took Brit
ish peer, also a psychiatrist, to
bring the two parties together
British Doctors Filled In
During the heat of the
strike, more than 100 British
doctors were called into the
province to man hospitals va
Gated by striking doctors. Some
Of them were paid up to 81, 300
a month, supplied transporta-
ton to and from England, and
given cars TO use while in the
province. Residents who had
lost their doctors, and of course
the medical professions. did not
welcome the Britishers who
we're called strikebreakers.
Most of the British doctors
have returned home, but about
ll0 Saskatchewan doctors took
other Jobs, many Of them In
the United States and other
parts Of Canada.
The end OF the bitter dispute
signalled the beginning Of the
scheme which the provinces
Socialist government is toutinl
as the model for all Canada tc
follow
Now that medicare is a real
ity II means that through pay
ment Of a compulsory premium
and 5 per cent sales tax, tn,
worry Of paying doctors bills Il
a thing OF the past
How II Works