Canadian CCPA Health CANADtANCBIlTIE tor poucy AL~TMS Coalition aNTRE~EN de POUT1QUESAL~

Completing Tommy's Vision: Next Steps to Expand and Improve 's Medicare System "Courage myfriends, 'tis not too late to makea better world. " -

May 4, 2007

REGINA -- More than 600 delegatesgathered on May 3rdand 4d1in the birthplaceof the nation's Medicaresystem - Regina, - to unite behind Tommy Douglas' vision for public healthcare.

The conference,S.O.S. Medicare 2: Looking Forward, brought togethera stunningarray of leadinghealth carethinkers, providers, and activists in Canada,the U.S., and abroad.Delegates includedacademics, community activists, seniors,students, government officials, and healthcare workersrepresenting the full spectrumof the system.

The conferenceheard from expertssuch as Monique Begin, fonner Minister of Health and Welfare in the Trudeaugovernment, Tom Kent, Principle Secretaryto Prime Minister Pearson, Alan Blakeney,fonner SaskatchewanPremier, and Roy Romanow,fonner Saskatchewan Premier,and chair of the Royal Commissionon the Future of Health Care in Canada.

The conferencefocused on completingwhat Tommy Douglas called PhaseTwo of Canada's universalpublic health care system.Phase One was universalpublic insurancefor physicianand hospitalcare. Phase Two will extendMedicare to homecare,long-term care,community care, pharmacare,and initiatives that addresssocial determinantsof health and disparitiesthat poor health.Phase Two is also about managinghealth carebetter - through waitlist management, teamwork,integration, evidence-based practice and other innovations.

Tommy Douglasenvisioned a Canadawhere all can live "free from fear, free from crippling debtswhen we fall ill."

His daughter,actress Shirley Douglas,opened S.O.S. Medicare 2 by championingher father's vision and putting out a clarion call for new and invigorated action.

"Thousandsof Canadians- seniors,the homebound,their family members- needsupport to live in health and dignity," Douglas said. "We needto completemy father's vision now." Judith Shamian,a nursewith the Victoria Order of Nurses,stressed the needfor immediate action.

"This is a mainstreamagenda for millions and millions of Canadians.People are relying on us. The vulnemblecan't wait."

Roy Romanow,said the plan for PhaseTwo has long beenlaid out - all that is missing is the political will to implementit.

Political leadershipis neededto counterthe growth of for-profits in Canada'shealth care system, from insuranceto delivery, supportservices to surgery,and in the very managementand infrastructureof Medicare.Public health careis Canadians'proudest achievement, yet it is being weakenedby private forceswhose primary motivation is profit rather than the healthcare of Canadians.

Dr. Arnold Reimanof Harvard Medical Law Schoolwarned against for-profit delivery of health care,saying "it costsmore, doesnot provide better care,and it poisonsthe system."

Healthcare is a fundamentalhuman right and yet our Medicaresystem is facing threatsfrom judicial challengesthat turn humanrights legislation againstthe common good. This is a new era in which for-profit proponentsare using the court systemto underminepublic healthcare.

Thesethreats are particularly ominousin light of trade agreementsthat open the door for commercialization.

Successin expandingMedicare into PhaseTwo hingesupon Canadiansworking on many fronts. A broadrange of individuals and organizationswere at this conference;many more needto be includedif we are to be successfulin defendingPhase One and achieving PhaseTwo.

Someprovinces are supportingthe innovationsrequired to implement PhaseTwo; someare thwarting them and inviting privatization. The federal governmentis stalling with unconditional funding and pilot projectswhile disparitiesincrease and commercialinterests grow.

This conference,and our resolveto unite, is history in the making. Tommy's vision hasbeen reaffirmed.For that vision to be fully complete,we must work on all fronts and with an ever- broadercoalition. The future well-being and health of Canadiansdepends on this.

For more infonnation on the conference,visit http://www.medicare.ca