To the editor:
It's no secret the provincial government is letting for-profit clinics flout the laws designed to limit for-profit delivery of medically necessary services and protect our access to care.
That's why I'm glad serious concerns are being raised regarding the expansion of for-profit surgical and diagnostic clinics at this year's Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Convention.
Mayors and councillors will be calling on (B.C. Liberal government) to stop the expansion of these clinics. They're concerned these businesses will lead to two-tier care that will leave the rest of us worse off - with longer waiting lists and declining care.
The UBCM resolution on for-profit clinics shows it's time for Health Minister Mike de Jong to take a leadership role in protecting British Columbians from private investors who are charging unlawful user fees and billing patients for health services already covered by Medicare.
Rachel Tutte, co-chair
BC Health Coalition