HSA welcomes Supreme Court of Canada decision to end assault on public health care

HSA President Kane Tse today welcomed the momentous news that Dr. Brian Day and Cambie Surgeries Corporation’s assault on the public health care system in British Columbia has reached the end of the legal road  with a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada that it will not hear an appeal of the decisions of BC courts to uphold the BC Medicare Protection Act.

The Supreme Court of Canada decision upholds the landmark decision by BC Supreme Court Justice John Steeves that ensures access to health care will continue to be based on need and not on ability to pay.

“This is a victory for public health care and the provincial laws that defend universal access to that care,” Tse said

HSA is part of a group of patients, doctors, and health care advocates who were involved in the case from the very beginning to protect and defend the universal public health care system, making the case that private, for-profit health care drains resources from the public system which decreases access and increases wait times.

“HSA is proud to be a long-standing supporter of the BC Health Coalition’s efforts to defend the principles of Medicare in the face of private for-profit interests that tried to open the door to US-style health care in Canada,” Tse said.

“Today we celebrate. But we know that there are still many challenges to our public health care system, and HSA will continue to work to support, defend, and enhance public delivery of health care for all,” Tse said.