{~_~} Раиса
2014-04-16 18:52:19 UTC
You bet we are. Every time the federal government - for the last 8
years, the HARPER government - cuts or caps healthcare transfer payments
from Ottawa, WE individuals pick up the costs.
And still more cuts to healthcare are pending under the Harper Cons.
____________________________________________________
CBC News Posted: Apr 16, 2014
Canadians spending more out of pocket on health care
Faster increases in spending for lower-income households may result in
'inequities,' StatsCan says
Prescription drug expenses were one of the out-of-pocket expenses
examined by Statistics Canada over a 12-year period. The report released
Wednesday sheds light on how much Canadians are paying for their own
health care.
Canadians' out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs, dental care
and insurance premiums rose over a 12-year period for all families,
especially people with lower incomes who may have reduced their use of
health-care services, a new report suggests.
Statistics Canada's report, "Trends in out-of-pocket health care
expenditures in Canada, by household income, 1997 to 2009," released
Wednesday shows the increase in these expenses was greatest for
households in the lowest one-fifth of income.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"What we saw in the data was for the poorest households, the amount that
they spent out of pocket, after adjusting for inflation, went from $600
to over $1,000," said study co-author Michael Law of the Centre for
Health Services and Policy Research at the University of British
Columbia.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lower-income households were more likely than higher-income households
to spend more than five per cent of their after-tax income on health
care services, Law and his co-authors found.
About 40 per cent of households in the two lowest income groups spent
more than five per cent of their total after-tax income on health-care
services, compared with 14 per cent of those in the highest income
group. The spending increase between 1997 and 2009 was greatest for
households in the lowest-income group, at 63 per cent.
"I think without a doubt we're seeing less equity in the system," Law
told CBC News.
"The people that I worry about the most in this are actually the working
poor," he said. "I worry about their ability to access prescription
drugs," since they have a "relatively low income" and probably don't
have benefits through their work.
Throughout the study period, the three largest components of
out-of-pocket health-care expenditures were:
Dental services.
Prescription medications.
Insurance premiums.
In 2009, household spending in those categories averaged $380 (dental),
$320 (medications) and $650 (insurance premiums).
"Faster increases in out-of-pocket spending for lower-income households
may have implications for access to health care," the report says."Lack
of insurance and the burden of out-of-pocket expenditures have been
associated with inequitable use of services such as dental care and
prescription medications."
Earlier this month, Robyn Tamblyn of Montreal's McGill University
published a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine of nearly 1,600
patients in Quebec who received prescriptions between 2006 and 2009.
Overall, 31 per cent of the prescriptions weren't filled and drugs that
cost the most were the least likely to be filled.
The implication is that people who are poorer would skimp on or not fill
their prescriptions, Tamblyn said. That's important because people who
are poorer and more likely to have chronic health conditions are also
more likely to experience poorer health than those who are better off.
The new survey of self-reported data covered nearly 98 per cent of the
population in the 10 provinces.
Direct expenditures are those not covered by insurance, such as
exclusions, deductibles and expenses over limits. The researchers also
excluded reimbursed payments.
Insurance expenditures included premiums for provincial hospital,
medical or drug plans, private health insurance plans, dental plans sold
as separate policies, and accident or disability insurance.
__________________________
Trends in out-of-pocket health care expenditures in Canada, by
household income, 1997 to 2009
years, the HARPER government - cuts or caps healthcare transfer payments
from Ottawa, WE individuals pick up the costs.
And still more cuts to healthcare are pending under the Harper Cons.
____________________________________________________
CBC News Posted: Apr 16, 2014
Canadians spending more out of pocket on health care
Faster increases in spending for lower-income households may result in
'inequities,' StatsCan says
Prescription drug expenses were one of the out-of-pocket expenses
examined by Statistics Canada over a 12-year period. The report released
Wednesday sheds light on how much Canadians are paying for their own
health care.
Canadians' out-of-pocket spending for prescription drugs, dental care
and insurance premiums rose over a 12-year period for all families,
especially people with lower incomes who may have reduced their use of
health-care services, a new report suggests.
Statistics Canada's report, "Trends in out-of-pocket health care
expenditures in Canada, by household income, 1997 to 2009," released
Wednesday shows the increase in these expenses was greatest for
households in the lowest one-fifth of income.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"What we saw in the data was for the poorest households, the amount that
they spent out of pocket, after adjusting for inflation, went from $600
to over $1,000," said study co-author Michael Law of the Centre for
Health Services and Policy Research at the University of British
Columbia.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lower-income households were more likely than higher-income households
to spend more than five per cent of their after-tax income on health
care services, Law and his co-authors found.
About 40 per cent of households in the two lowest income groups spent
more than five per cent of their total after-tax income on health-care
services, compared with 14 per cent of those in the highest income
group. The spending increase between 1997 and 2009 was greatest for
households in the lowest-income group, at 63 per cent.
"I think without a doubt we're seeing less equity in the system," Law
told CBC News.
"The people that I worry about the most in this are actually the working
poor," he said. "I worry about their ability to access prescription
drugs," since they have a "relatively low income" and probably don't
have benefits through their work.
Throughout the study period, the three largest components of
out-of-pocket health-care expenditures were:
Dental services.
Prescription medications.
Insurance premiums.
In 2009, household spending in those categories averaged $380 (dental),
$320 (medications) and $650 (insurance premiums).
"Faster increases in out-of-pocket spending for lower-income households
may have implications for access to health care," the report says."Lack
of insurance and the burden of out-of-pocket expenditures have been
associated with inequitable use of services such as dental care and
prescription medications."
Earlier this month, Robyn Tamblyn of Montreal's McGill University
published a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine of nearly 1,600
patients in Quebec who received prescriptions between 2006 and 2009.
Overall, 31 per cent of the prescriptions weren't filled and drugs that
cost the most were the least likely to be filled.
The implication is that people who are poorer would skimp on or not fill
their prescriptions, Tamblyn said. That's important because people who
are poorer and more likely to have chronic health conditions are also
more likely to experience poorer health than those who are better off.
The new survey of self-reported data covered nearly 98 per cent of the
population in the 10 provinces.
Direct expenditures are those not covered by insurance, such as
exclusions, deductibles and expenses over limits. The researchers also
excluded reimbursed payments.
Insurance expenditures included premiums for provincial hospital,
medical or drug plans, private health insurance plans, dental plans sold
as separate policies, and accident or disability insurance.
__________________________
Trends in out-of-pocket health care expenditures in Canada, by
household income, 1997 to 2009