CMAJ • May 23, 2006; 174 (11). doi:10.1503/cmaj.1060076.
© 2006 CMA Media Inc. or its licensors
All editorial matter in CMAJ represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Letters

Another proposal for primary care

Tom W. Bell

Family Physician, Peterborough, Ont.

I find the rhetoric around private clinics, enrolment fees and annual dues for "gold-plated" medical services pretty amusing. As described in a recent article by Wayne Kondro,1 clients at the Copeman clinics would get 24-hour access to physicians and as-needed house calls. But wait — isn't that what we family docs are supposed to be providing? It certainly started out that way.

Here's my proposal. I am willing to compete with the Copeman clinics, on the following terms. For the sum of $250 per year per patient, without an enrolment fee, I will provide the same core services and do health promotion and teaching; I will also set my patients up with specialists as required. I won't need to bill the provincial system, because with about 2000 patients, I will cover my overhead and have a reasonable income, without any intermediaries like Copeman (although I would probably need to employ a nurse practitioner).

With this arrangement, I'm sure other like-minded family docs would be willing to sign up, and the problem of access to primary care would be taken care of. Does this make any sense to the Canadian ministers of health?

REFERENCE

  1. Kondro W. Copeman clinics come under scrutiny. CMAJ 2006;174(6):753.[Free Full Text]




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