In
my area it has been a long, snowy, cold winter. It
is with open arms I welcome April with April showers
to wash away all the snow. Each day I can hardly wait
to peek into my garden to discover the bulbs poking
their heads up through the warming soil, or did the
squirrels get all my bulbs last fall!
Hopefully you have your resolutions into the office.
Resolutions are due April 10th. Each club needs a
voice with the government so they (the government)
know the problems in your area. Don’t forget
more seniors per capita vote than any other age group
so we have a lot of “grey power”.
Last year Canada spent $172 billion on health care.
We must figure out a way to make our money go further
without compromising the quality of care we have come
to expect and need. The Health Council of Canada launched
a forum designed to engage Canadians in a national
dialogue about value for money, to open a conversation
about how to get the biggest bang for the ‘buck’
in health care.
Join this important discussion at www.Canadavalueshealth.ca
where you will find the council’s paper, Value
for Money: Making Health Care Stronger. Visitors will
be able to debate the issues, post comments, take
part in surveys, watch videos, read what other people
are saying.
Contrary to popular belief, aging and population growth
are not the major causes of the rise in Canada’s
health care spending; half of the increase can be
directly attributed to the accelerating use of the
system. Apparently this is not a discussion about
cutbacks or service reduction. It is about maintaining
and enhancing the system by making smart spending
choices.
The
Health Council of Canada was created by the 2003 First
Ministers’ Accord on Health Care Renewal. Their
mandate is to monitor and report on the progress of
health care renewals in Canada.
Councillors were appointed by participating provinces,
territories and the Government of Canada. The Council
is urging everyone to get involved. For further information
contact Pierre Lachaine, Health Council of Canada
at phone number 416.480.7085.
In Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal
government made a commitment to protect Canadians,
including seniors, in difficult times by implementing
some key measures:
