Okay so I have mentioned (ranted) a few times about how Alberta is stopping the premium payments on the basic health care plan next month. I have said that the money always has to come from somewhere and people shouldn't just automatically rejoice. I have said that low income and senior people already get FREE or drastically reduced premiums so it's the people who CAN afford it who are going to get it free now as well.
My case in point came today - our extended health care benefits are going up by $22 a month, and things like dental are being reduced by thousands. The dental benefit for family was $10,000 a year and now it's going down to $7500!! Our payments are going UP while the benefits are going DOWN. Go figure eh? It is of course impossible to tell if this would have happened regardless of the AHC changes... but it's very suspect.
Why would they do it? Hmm well, I have heard from several sources that prescriptions here will be going up by as much as 110% but I have not confirmed that with any links to give you (I haven't looked). And what has happened periodically over the years with the basic health care program? Procedures have slowly been dropped from the basic coverage list and deemed 'unnecessary' and therefore not covered by Alberta Health Care. Could the insurance companies be anticipating more things being dropped from basic that would then be covered by extended? Or could it just be the distinct possibility of the insurers having to dole out more for the prescriptions alone? Either way - this 'free basic health care' went into our pocket and fell right out a hole we didn't even know was there. And all this before we even actually had our first month of freebie-time. Interesting, don't you think?
People tell me I listen to too much conservative talk radio (my brother included LOL), but this is exactly what they talked about on there a few months ago... If money is dumped into one program and everyone jumps for joy at helping the Common Good, it is quite often or most often pulled OUT of another area instead. And there it was, right in front of my face on a little notice from our extended health care agency today. Surprised? I'm not. You shouldn't be either.
I finally got the chance the other day to say to someone that if they can't afford the $88 a month family amount, they have their priorities a bit messed up. I said it nicer than that, but not by much lol. This particular family is thrilled about having that extra cash in pocket - but they earn over 100 grand a year and have every luxury and toy imaginable. They are excited to save less than a hundred bucks a month? Perhaps they should see how much they would save if they weren't making payments on multiple vehicles, monstrous house, boat, and 28 foot brand new trailer at the same time. If they say they can't afford their health care, they are lying through their teeth and proving what is wrong with this whole 'help each other' system. The system is helping the WRONG people a great deal of the time. I would rather see my $88 bucks a month continue and have the surplus put into helping the many families in Alberta who HAVE to take their child abroad for medical help. There are at least 3 families in Medicine Hat alone who cannot get care for their childrens' rare diseases here and have to go to the US on their own dollar. I would rather see money go to them, or redirected to women's shelters, or food banks instead of 'helping' people who have more money than sense. Am I wrong for thinking that way? Please explain.
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