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News Release
Statement to the Toronto Board
of Health
June 13, 1980
I am appearing on behalf of the Medical Reform Group of Ontario,
an organization which now represents over 200 physicians and medical
students.
I would like to thank the Board of Health for allowing me to present
our views on the Board's recommendations regarding employment of
opted-out physicians by the city of Toronto.
The Medical Reform Group is on record as opposing opting out as
a solution to physician dissatisfaction with OHIP. We recognize
the problems with the current system, but we feel it has been a
step in the right direction, and opting out can only undo the progress
that has been made toward a guarantee of high quality medical care
for everyone. Health care delivery should not be a matter left in
the control of doctors who establish themselves as private businesses
and who provide for those who cannot afford the going rate at their
own discretion. We believe that unrestricted access to necessary
health care is a right, not a privilege to be granted by the largesse
of physicians, however well intentioned some may be.
Therefore we cannot agree that a refusal by the city to employ
opted-out physicians constitutes discrimination in the same sense
as would refusal to employ physicians of a certain race, sex, or
religion. Opting-out is a professional and economic decision which
a physician freely makes. If the Board of Health, in its capacity
as promoter of health for the citizens of Toronto, believes as we
do that opting out is a threat to the health of those citizens,
then we feel that it is entirely appropriate for the Board to act
on this belief in whatever ways are open to it.
We are also in support of the Board's proposal to help citizens
looking for opted-in physicians. As I am sure you are all aware,
this search is becoming increasingly difficult in some specialties,
though Toronto is so far luckier than some other areas in this respect.
I would like to conclude by assuring the Board that there are many
physicians like myself who think that health care should not be
looked upon as a commodity, like shoes, for which individuals should
be expected to pay more in order to get the highest quality.
Dr. Debby Copes, Steering Committee, M.R.G.
Subject Headings: Abortion
Rights – Community
Health – Community
Health Centres – Drug
Substitution – Epidemiology
– Epidemiology/Community
Medicine – Health
Administration – Health
Care Budgets – Health
Care Cost Containment – Health
Care Costs – Health
Care Delivery – Health
Care Finance & Fund-Raising – Health
Care in Canada – Health
Care in Ontario – Health
Care in the U.K. – Health
Care in the U.S. – Health
Care Myths – Health
Care Reform – Health
Care Resources – Health
Care Services – Health
Care Workers – Health
Clinics – Health
Determinants – Health
Economics – Health
Expenditures – Health
Issues – Health
Policy – Health
Policy/Seniors – Health
Service Organizations – Health/Social
Justice Issues – Health
Statistics – Health/Strategic
Planning – History
– Hospitals
– Labour
Medicine – Medical
Associations – Medical
Costs/Foreign – Medical
Education – Medical
Ethics – Medical
Human Resources – Medical
Personnel – Medical
Research Funding – Medicare
– Medication
Use – Medication
Use/Seniors – NAFTA/Health
– Occupational
Health & Safety – Patients'
Rights – Pharmaceuticals
– Physician
Compensation – Physician
Human Resources – Pro-Choice
Issues – Public
Health – Publications/Health
– Social
Policy – Women's
Health
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