VANCOUVER - With provincial and territorial health ministers gathered in Banff over the next few days, advocates of Canada's public health-care system are urging them to protect medicare.
The British Columbia government is in negotiations right now to end a long-running dispute with the private Cambie Surgery Clinic in Vancouver.
The B.C. Health Coalition says the outcome will send a message about the province's stance on the public system.
They're urging B.C. to order a full audit of the clinic and impose hefty penalties for almost $500,000 in over-billing during a 30-day period, which came to light in an audit two years ago.
The coalition, along with the group Canadian Doctors for Medicare, has written to B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake, Attorney General Suzanne Anton and the chairman of the Medical Services Commission, asking them to ensure the clinic is in compliance with medicare rules.
Coalition spokeswoman Dr. Vanessa Brcic (burr-sik) says there has been a lack of federal leadership on health care affecting all provinces and territories, but other jurisdictions have not seen the emergence of as many for-profit health services as B.C.
