Join us for the November Healthcare Management Forum tweetchat

(Ce programme n’est pas disponible en français.)

Be part of the conversation on Tuesday, November 15 at 8:30 p.m., EST.

According to Healthcare Management Forum’s guest editor for November, Federico Lega, PhD, we need to recognize the challenges that modern healthcare faces when aiming at achieving universalism in a sustainable context.

Join authors as they discuss Canadian health financing and universal pharmacare in the November Healthcare Management Forum tweetchat.

We have partnered with Colin Hung, co-founder of the healthcare leader community #HCLDR, to deliver “Refinancing public healthcare,” inspired by the November 2016 edition of the journal. Special guests include D. Wayne Taylor and Steve Morgan.

Twitter handles, Forum articles, tweetchat topics and instructions can be found below.

Hashtag - #HCLDR


Hosts

1. Colin Hung - @Colin_Hung
2. Canadian College of Health Leaders @CCHL_CCLS

Moderators

1. Colin Hung - @Colin_Hung
2. Joseph Babaian - @JoeBabaian

Guests

1. D. Wayne Taylor, PhD, F.CIM, Executive Director, The Cameron Institute – @CameronInst
2. Steve Morgan, PhD, Professor, University of British Columbia, School of      Population and Public Health – @SteveUBC

Articles

1. “Rethinking the financing of healthcare in Canada” – D. Wayne Taylor
   Abstract: Canadians need to talk about their healthcare, about who pays for what, when. Lack of money is not the issue; how that money is spent is the issue—what public healthcare is covering and not covering. The same dollar amount can be spent quite differently and more effectively. The 1950s first-dollar, single-payor decision shifted the burden from the individual to government, but a lot has changed since the 1950s. Today Medicare is not universal, comprehensive, reasonably accessible, or portable. With residual constitutional power residing in Ottawa, there is no reason for the fragmentation and inequalities facing Canadians. Sound fiscal policy enables funding at appropriate levels when needed; however, current fiscal policy is not sound. Canada can learn from countries that outperform it in terms of quality, waits, access, outcomes, and value for money. This article provides some fresh thinking about the financing of a system that currently is failing Canadians.
2. “Universal prescription drug coverage in Canada: Long-promised yet undelivered” – Steven G. Morgan and Katherine Boothe
   Abstract: Canada’s universal public healthcare system is unique among developed countries insofar as it does not include universal coverage of prescription drugs. Universal, public coverage of prescription drugs has been recommended by major national commissions in Canada dating back to the 1960s. It has not, however, been implemented. In this article, we extend research on the failure of early proposals for universal drug coverage in Canada to explain failures of calls for reform over the past 20 years. We describe the confluence of barriers to reform stemming from Canadian policy institutions, ideas held by federal policy-makers, and electoral incentives for necessary reforms. Though universal ‘‘pharmacare’’ is once again on the policy agenda in Canada, arguably at higher levels of policy discourse than ever before, the frequently recommended option of universal, public coverage of prescription drugs remains unlikely to be implemented without political leadership necessary to overcome these policy barriers.
   

Topics

1. Is there a link between how healthcare is paid for (ie: public, employer, insurance, patient) and system performance?
2. What does “medically necessary” care mean to you?
3. What could be done to ensure that new treatments (drugs, therapies) are fairly priced?
4. What ideas do you have for ensuring patients receive value for the $$$ spent in healthcare?

Instructions

• Get a Twitter account.
• Go to twubs.com or tweetchat.com.
• Enter the #HCLDR in the box that says “Enter a hashtag” and press Enter.
• Sign-in to participate in the chat. (Note: the hashtag #HCLDR will automatically be added to your tweets.)
• Review the topics.
• Be on-line at 8:30pm EST (for your local time click here) on Tuesday November 15.
• Chat!