The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network is once again asking questions of the parties and candidates during the Alberta election campaign; their responses can be found in this section.
We hope that this information will help you when you direct your concerns to your provincial representatives.
To become involved in CCSN’s political advocacy campaigns, please contact jmanthorne@survivornet.ca
Questions:
Over 191,300 Canadians are diagnosed with cancer every year, including 16,500 people in Alberta. Approximately 6,400 Albertans die of cancer each year. Clearly, this life-threatening illness affects entire communities, especially families, friends and co-workers.
The government of Alberta has an important role to play in making sure that everyone diagnosed with cancer has timely access to cancer care and essential medical services as well as access to emergency rooms and the treatment and medications they need.
We invite parties and candidates to respond to the following questions related to cancer care and healthcare in Alberta. Responses will be circulated to cancer patients and survivors in Alberta, posted on our website, www.survivornet.ca and on our social media.
Question 1: Cancer Care and Healthcare Services
In a recent poll conducted by CBC Vote Compass, healthcare is the number two issue on the minds of Alberta voters.
If elected:
A) How will your government improve the delivery of cancer care and other healthcare services in Alberta?
B) Will your government continue to provide a publicly funded healthcare system or would it institute a private healthcare system?
C) How will your government restructure healthcare delivery in Alberta?
D) How will your government ensure that cancer patients receive the services they need, including home care, financial assistance during recovery and for long-term side effects of cancer and/or treatment?
Question 2: Drug Approval
A key element of providing timely treatment for cancer patients is ensuring that they have access to the medications they need at the time they need them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in Alberta.
On average between 2004-2010, Alberta approved for public reimbursement 17.7% of the 306 new drugs approved by Health Canada, compared to the cross-country provincial average for the same period of 23.44% (Access Delayed, Access Denied: Waiting for New Medicines in Canada, Mark Rovere and Brett J. Skinner, Studies in Health Policy, April 2012, The Fraser Institute).
If elected, will your government commit to increasing the number of new cancer and other drugs approved for public reimbursement so that all Albertans have timely access to the drugs they need, and if so, how will this be accomplished?
Alberta NDP response
Alberta Green Party respone
As a breast cancer survivor myself, I understand the challenges that cancer care presents to the Alberta Health Care system. My own experience was less than satisfactory and in the end, I sought alternative treatments outside of Canada with much success. I was fortunate enough to have had a critical illness insurance policy that covered most of these costs.
I can confidently say that the delivery of cancer care and other healthcare services in Alberta needs to be fully examined and discussed by all the stakeholders including survivors. As such, we would commission a task force to draft an integrated plan for the care, communication and delivery of cancer treatments to patients. This would be done as a fully publicly funded healthcare system now and in the future under a Green Party government.
Included in this report would be the examination of what is necessary to support cancer patients in their long term management and/or recovery of their related cancer treatments and side effects.
Upon receiving the recommendations of the task force, we would set about allocating the necessary funds to implement the plan, with a provision to review and improve the recommendations every 2 years.
Theoretically, this model could be used across the healthcare delivery system.
I personally believe that all patients in the healthcare system need an advocate with the power to intervene in a patients care when they feel that the best interests of the patient are not being met. This person can be the patient themselves if well enough, a family member or friend or an appointed representative if none of the aforementioned is available.
I can personally attest to the fact that going through cancer and cancer “care” is challenging at physical, emotional and social levels and a network of support with the appropriate power to advocate is vital to the recovery of the patient.
The Green Party of Canada supports the adoption of a Universal Pharmacare system where we would have the power to bulk buy drugs in order to make them more affordable to all Canadians. Alberta Greens agree.
The Greens fully support the Canada Health Act (CHA) and all of its principles. We oppose any level of privatized, for-profit health care. The five criteria of the CHA guiding the provincial public health insurance plans, which we believe to be non-negotiable, are:
Public Administration – The public health insurance plan must be managed in a public, not-for-profit fashion;
Comprehensiveness – All residents must be covered for ‘medically necessary’ health services;
Universality – All residents must be covered by the public insurance plan on uniform terms and conditions;
Portability – All residents must be covered by their public plan, wherever they are treated in Canada;
Accessibility – All residents must have access to insured health care services on uniform terms and conditions without direct or indirect financial charges, or discrimination based on age, health status, or financial circumstances.
I hope this sufficiently answers the questions put forward by The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network.
Dr. David M. Reid, Calgary-Bow
Coral Bliss Taylor, Chestermere-Rocky View
Martin Blake, Highwood
Matthew Gaiser (Liberal Party: Calgary-Bow)
Ron Williams (Liberal Party: Battle River-Wainwright)
Answer:
Thank you for contacting me about your concerns Liberal stand for pubic health. We are opposed to any private for profit involvement. We firstly will make certain that the public system operates in an efficient manner so that we get the best value for our money. Cancer treatment will receive special attention. Making sure that the health system operates in an efficient manner will shorten the time line for drug approvals.
Thank you Ron
Karen Sevcik (Liberal Party: Edmonton Glenora)
Answer:
Thank you very much for providing the opportunity to discuss this issue. The Alberta Liberal Party will be completing the survey on our (candidates) behalf so you have a more coherent understanding of the Liberal position. Might I just add that as someone who has lost both parents to cancer I will be at the forefront of advocating for better and more timely treatment wherever and whenever I can.
Gladwin Gill (Liberal Party: Calgary-Southeast)
Reg Lukasik (Liberal Party: Spruce Grove-St Albert)
Roberto Magalang (Liberal Party: Edmonton-Mill Woods)
Answer:
This is an area where more funding is needed. For example, some cancer patients require immune boosters during chemo treatments. These can cost thousands of dollars. Currently only seniors qualify for coverage from the Government. If someone needs a drug or treatment prescribed by their doctor, it should be covered and shouldn’t depend on their age or financial circumstance. We are also concerned about the slowness of the process for approval of new drugs and would work to streamline this to ensure timely access to needed treatments. This may require higher levels of funding, however, in a province as wealthy as Alberta, meeting these requirements can be done.