Defend Medicare in court

The BC Health Coalition and Canadian Doctors for Medicare were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Joseph Arvay, O.C., O.B.C., Q.C. As Coalition Intervenors in the Cambie trial, Joe was a key member of our legal team. In the legal battle to defend public health care in BC, Joe and his team was our voice in the courtroom. Joe approached the case with not only his tremendous experience as a constitutional lawyer, but also the passion of an advocate determined to protect the public health care system we all rely on. He was our lawyer, but he was also an ally and a friend.…Read More

For immediate release Monday, December 2, 2019 A new poll finds that 90% of British Columbians agree that access to healthcare in the province should be based on need rather than ability to pay.…Read More

For immediate release (Unceded Coast Salish Territories - Vancouver, BC) On Monday, November 18th, final arguments began in the Charter challenge that put public health care on trial.…Read More

news release May 14, 2019 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE INTERVENOR WITNESS TAKES THE STAND IN CAMBIE CASE Marie-Claude Prémont provides expert evidence on the dangers of dismantling public health care legislation…Read More

Counsel for Attorney General of Canada opens with argument that striking down public health care law would “turn back the clock” on health care in Canada, lead to major health inequality April 16, 2019 (Vancouver) For the first time since the trial began in 2016, the BC Supreme Court will hear from defendants and intervenors in the constitutional challenge to Canadian public health care launched by private, for-profit clinic CEO Brian Day.…Read More

For immediate release (Unceded Coast Salish Territories - Vancouver, BC) On Friday, July 6th, Brian Day’s private, for-profit clinic Cambie Surgeries filed an injunction application to stop the province’s enforcement law against extra-billing, the Medicare Protection Amendment Act (Bill 92), from coming into force on October 1st, 2018. In addition to the increased enforcement measures, the province committed to completing thousands of more surgeries and diagnostic tests in the public system in order to alleviate wait times.…Read More

B.C. and Quebec top the list for illegal billing Vancouver – Surveys of hundreds of private health clinics and patients across Canada reveal that extra user-fees amounting to hundreds or thousands of dollars are threatening access to health care and hurting patients.  A new cross-Canada study includes survey results of 136 private hospital, diagnostic and “boutique” physician clinics across Canada and almost 400 individual Ontario patients. Clinics and patients were asked about extra user-charges for needed health care services. …Read More