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ORONO WEEKLY TIMES, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd, 1968 ORONO WEEKYTIE (Autorizedi as Second Classu mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa) Published every Thursday at the officeof publicatîoe Main Street, Phone 109, Orono, Oncario Established in 1938 by R. A. Forrester Roy C. Forrester - Editor and Manager What Others Say HAVING ITS CAKE AND EATING IT It la hardly surprising that Prime Minister Pearson has announced that the Goverament does not plan to back- track on compulsory prepaid medical care for ail Canadians, ineluding those who do not need it. Srapping it would have made the Goverument look sîlly and would therefore have been politically unwise. The fact that scrapping it would have been ia the best interests of the country - gt least i the view of most if not ail provincial premiers and some members of Mr. Pearson's cabinet - did not natter. The Government is off the hook because only two provinces will participate and therefore it will not cost very much lu federal funds, nothing like the billion dol- lars a year it would have cost if the whole country had been included. To a point the Goverament can have its cake and eat it too, Aside £rom the principle of providing welf are for those who do not need it or want it, another important principle la at stake. Constitutionally medical care is a provincial natter, and the fpderal goverument la not rcally supposed to be in it at al. Thua the legisîntion which goes into effect July 1 provides for federal payments to prov- inces with qualifying progranis which wish to take part. The federal government cannot operate a medicare sys- tem itself. With the present trend toward further decent- ralization many 'provinces might insist, as Quebec does, on complete control of ail welfare programs within their bord- ers. Now that non-participating provinces will be support- ing those provinces which do take part, what is.to prevent Ontario and British Columbia and others from insistiag not only on complete control but on the taie revenue nec- essary to implementing it? By meddling ia a provincial field the Ottawa'goveru- ment has made more difficuit the problem- of federal- provincial relatioaships. -The Port Hope Guide il Abut eicar REPORT FROM OTTAWA Russell C. Honey, M.P., Durham -I have always supported the principles of medicare. Because of the present economic situation 1 would have supported a propos- ai to phase it la over a three year period. However this could ap- parently flot be done and there- fore. medicare effective July lst, 1968, is a fact of life. There have been many miscon- ceptions about medicare. Some have been deliberate. Here are a few of 'them with my com- menta: 1. Misconception - That the present prepaid medical care ini- surance la Ontario is ideal and that virtually ail residents of On- tario arei, satisfied wth their present'coverage. Fact ,~ The Royal Commission on Health Services (Ijall Com- mission) found that approximate- ly 30% of all Canadians who pos- sess prepaid mnedical care insur- ance had totally- inadequate cover- age by virtue of the limitations imposed on the amount of benefit or on the range of benefits la many insurance contraets. 2. Misconception,- That because most people la Ontario are cover- ed with some form of prepaid medical carte insurance we do not need to concera ourselves any further. Fact - With the exception of Suskatchewan, Ontario has the best medical care coveragce. Ia some provinces (P.E.I., New Brunswick and Quebec) less than 50% of the residents have mcdi-- cal care insurance. The federal government canniot ignore these facts. It must provide adequate services5 for ahl Canadians. The niedicare programn provides that pari-medical services such as op- tometrical, chiropractie, etc., eau be included ai the option of the Province. 3. Miscouception - That there is some form of compulsion ou the Provinces to join the medicare program. Fact- The medicare programn la modelled oia the Hospital Ser- vices Program. The federal gov-, crament agrees, broadly speak-. ïng, to pay one-haif of the cost of inedieal services fQr the popula- tion of any province who wishes to join. Whether they join or*hot is entir ely the decisin of ceach Province. 4. Misconception - That the cost of administration will be high. Fact, - Experience la Canada shows it is more ecohomical to administer a single non-profit prepaid medical care insurance plan fhan to, administer a variety of, competing private insurance plahis. The existing Medical Cure Insurance Plan i Saskatchewan has demonstrated substantially lower administrative costs than those of private plans and fur- thermore, the costs of the Sas- katchewan plan have been rising more slowly than the coat of pri- vate plans. 5. Misconception - That medi- cure will "cost" a billion dollars or a 12% increase in ihcome tax- es. Fact - The net cost of medicare for the first year will be 80 mil- lion dollars.. The total coat la est- hnated at 885 million dollars. Ia the next yeur Canadians will spend 805 million dollars on mcd- ical services by preminni pay- ments, direct payments to doctors etc. The difference is 80 million dollars, which means that for ap- proximately $4. per year for each Canadian ALL Canadiahis can have total and complete medical services cov >erage. 6. Miscoaception - That there is something "wronig"' la taxing people of one Province for serv- ices where they do hot receive a benefit, to pay for such benefits beiug received by Canadians la another Province. Faet - In a federal.system this is doue every day. For example,ý witness the taxes which ail Cai-' adians pay to support the gold r..iniag industry la Ontario by subsidy, the wheat industry la the West hy subsidy iat the pres- ent ti me, and so on... 7. Miscoanception- That some of the publicity and propaganda dir- ected agaiust medicare ln the past few months bas been objective and la the publie interest. Fact - Most of it bas been la- spired and financed by insurance companies and other interests who have a vested interest iu stalling or killing the medicare prograni. REPORT FROM QUEEN'S PARK Alex Carruthers, M.P.P., Durham MEDICARE The Throne Speech presented to the First Session of the 28th Parliament of Ontario on Wed- nesday, February 14th, ýalthough of neeessity generalinl tone, did forecast some very significant atid important pieces of legisla- tion. The proposed legislation caîl- ing for an expansion of benefits under the Ontario Medical Serv- ices Insurance program, the low- ering of the cost of drags, atid the paying for ambulance serv- ices, will no doubt resuit in pro- tracted and serlous debate. An outline of the facts under- lying the Government's position with respect to the national med- icare 'seheme is, therefore, per- haps in order at this time. Over the past few months it has become increasingly evident that if the financial stabillty of the nation is to bc maintained, prior- ities in government spendiag be established. It was an acute awareness of the fact that housing and educa- tion must have priority if the needs of Ontario's rapidly grow- ixg population are to be riiet, that prompted Mr. Robarts a few weeks ugo to announce that On- tario was not preparcd to partie- ipate la the national medicare seheme for a year at least. The following facts lend strong support to the Ontario Goverh- ment's 'policy with respect to medicare at this time. 1. The success of the O.M.S.I.P. prograff, which is available to al citizeas, of the Province, regard- less of physical condition or abil- ity to pay. 2. Participation in the federal medicare scheme would resuit lu Ontario, the wealthiest province in the Domition, being subsidized by less favoured provinces such as Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. These provinces al- ready have declared their inabil- ity to participate because they are unable to afford the provine- must be established. 3. Ontariô's taxpayers would pay $115 million more a year for the federal program than they would receive in federal grants. This fuet is based on Mr. Sharp's esiaethat the plan would re- quire in creased federal revenue equal to a 12% increase in in- come tax. Ontario taxpayers would be paying approximately $275 million but receivitg la re- turn from the federal treasury only $160 million. 4. llealth insurance lies con- stitutionally within the jurisdic- tion of the provinces. The Ontario goverh-ment strongly contends * hat the' federal medicare pro- gram is an improper tampering with provincial responsibilities. 5. Ontario would prefer a mod- ified programn with emphasis placed on providing medical cov- erage for those who cannot af- ford it oh their own (the elderly, the handicapped, and those in the low income brackets). 6. The impossibility of control- ling costs because of the reluet- ance or the înability of govera- ments to keep costs at a moder- ate level. Hospital services insur- ance costs have increased 145%o la the past seven years although there has been only a 22%' in- crease' lu the number insured. Medicare costs would rise accord- ingly. 7. The growing opposition* to un- iversality la social services. The provinces of Canada have decided not to participate in the programn. Saskatchewah's decision to partie- ipate is understandable. Although opposed te the federal program, Mr. Thatcher, having inherited a compýulsory medicare scheme from the former Socialist govern- ment of that province, will now be in a position to have a large part of that cost assumed by the federal goveramdnt. 9. With bationa1 unity a critical issue, the introduction of the f ed- eral medicare programi at this time against the wishes of the provinces can, only aggravate an already serious -situation and give ,added encouragement to seear- atist forces. 10. The present split ini the Federal Cabinet and liberal cau- ceus over medicare is a strong in- dication that the policy being followed is not a wise one. 11. The decision to itroduce the plan on July lst will do Inoth- ing to provide assistance where it is most needed, the less afflu- ent Maritime Provinces., 12. The experience of the Un- ited States where medicaid is lima- ited to the medical needy, should be a wartiing to Canada. In the fiscal year 1966-67, the cost in New York State of the medicaid programn was $410 million. In the current fiscal year of 1967-68, the New York Legisiature is budget- ing $738 million to, finance the cost'of the program. 13. The introduction of a na- tional medîcare scheme would tecid to wipe out with one stroke ail the medical benefits now be- ing enjoyed by workers through agreements between union and management. These' benefits took years to acquire and the, samne would apply to co-operative medi- cal services such as that provided by 'the Durham Medical Co-Op:' Involved also is a principle, JACK RICARD REALTOR 99 King St., E., BOWMANVILLE Wh« ftying or Selling cil WvuILF H.AWKE YOUR ORONO AREA REPRESENTATIVE 983-5274 LXembers of -)shawa and [)is trict Real Estate Board that of freedom of choice. It is difficuit to understand that at a time when labour is demnanding this right to an ever greater ex- tent, as in the case of the guards at the Don Jail and the C.N.T.U. in Quebec, the Socialist element in our society is demanding theý destruction of this right through the adoption of a compulsory medicare program. p iLEASE: ' SAVE TOUR Waste Paper FoRTe 77 j YSCOUTS NEXT COLLECTION DAI., Saiturday March 2 Pie ase have Paper tied and placed at road side Ail AotMdcr HUBERT GROOT Your Representative for North American Life LMfe Mortgage Protection Income Replacement and Estate Planning Phone: Bus.: 728-9427 lies.: 623-3958 ORONO, ONTARIO PHONE 983-5102 Sce us for Quality feeds for Dairy and Beef Cattie, llog IFeeds, Poultry Feeds, Farm Sup- plies, Fencing, Fertilizer, Work Boots and Clothing. Seed grain and Grass seeds, Baler and Binder Twine. Order your Fertilizer now and have it there when you need it. This year we are handling Quality Co-op Seed Grain, Oats, and Bariey Certified No.1, Treated and in 2 bushel bags. QUALITY, SERVICE and PRICE 15 THE BEST to the end of Feb. 1968, on, any in stockj