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Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Keith Martin proposes market-based healthcare reforms
Western Standard blogger and senior London correspondent Michael Cust recently raised an unlikely question for conservative readers:
Is Liberal MP Keith Martin the best representative for liberty in parliament?
Cust points to Martin’s reform-minded views on drug policy, his commitment to free speech and his desire to see market-based reforms in healthcare.
On this latter point, Martin is interviewed in the Globe and Mail today on his ideas for European-style competition in Canada’s healthcare system. Martin says:
In many European countries, if a patient cannot receive care within a certain period of time, then the private sector is allowed to care for that patient. The money follows the patient, who is seen as an asset as opposed to a burden. The monies come from a mix of public and private funds, but everyone is covered and no one is hurt financially when they fall ill.
Martin’s willingness to tinker with Canada’s broken public healthcare system is typical of his willingness to get in front of controversial subject, to “lead,” in a word. That being written, there is nothing bold in Martin’s proposal and public-private partnership schemes are wrought with messy problems that only free markets can solve.
(Why not get the government out of healthcare delivery entirely and subsidize the cost for low income patients on a case by case basis?)
But breaking the government healthcare monopoly is still an important step toward a healthcare system more closely befitting a free society.
Posted by Matthew Johnston
Posted by westernstandard on April 8, 2009 | Permalink
Comments
Of course what Martin states is just common sense based on the track record of the various systems. Why is it that not one single national party has this as policy? That pretty much says it all.
Posted by: Alain | 2009-04-08 8:19:38 PM
Too many people, unions in particular are invested in keeping things as they are. So .... nothing will change without a revolution.
Posted by: Momar | 2009-04-08 9:51:03 PM
Martin is great on several policy areas. Does anyone know Martin's position on Gun Control? Taxes? AGW Hysteria?
Posted by: John Chittick | 2009-04-08 10:05:37 PM
People keep seeing this sort of thing from Martin and asking why he ever left the Canadian Alliance/Conservatives.
I feel comfortable saying he would likely not be allowed to speak out on any of these issues if he were still with the Tories.
Posted by: Janet Neilson | 2009-04-09 7:21:57 AM
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