Quote:
Originally Posted by crazy_eoj
Healthcare spending in Alberta has grown at an ANNUAL rate of 10% in the perioud 2000-2010, or over 200% in that time-frame. In 2000, Alberta spent about the same as the rest of Canada on healthcare, and now we spend about 20% more on average. The single largest component of that increase is in salary costs.
Meanwhile health outcomes (waiting times, access to specialists, etc.) have not improved, mainly staying flat. As you have noted, it doesn't seem that these increases in spending have made a difference on the front line for workers.
This system is clearly broken. We cannot afford to increase public spending on health care 10% year over year forever without seeing any improvement in outcomes or working conditions. Simply assuming more taxes and more spending will solve the problem doesn't make any sense at all, as it hasn't made a difference over the past decade.
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I think that everyone can agree on that point. The issue I have though (can't speak for everyone) is that the alternatives to what we have today seem to be fairly radical, and just not acceptable solutions. So while I know that something has to be done and something has to be changed I have no idea what that change should entail.