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Alberta's minister of health is responding to physicians' evident unhappiness with his heavy-handed approach to negotiating with us by being...heavy-handed. #AbLeg (1/x)
A large proportion of us are looking at altering our practices or leaving Alberta, so his response is to threaten to release billing information. (2/x)
Here's the thing - that information is already publicly available. Of course, this is gross billing information and doesn't capture overhead costs (or that the hours involved in some of these specialties amounts to 2 full-time jobs) (3/x)
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/3c9a0637-29c1-4cb2-93ba-c2ac090ab2b5/resource/10b31109-d6a5-4763-81d5-356239812ff3/download/health-ahcip-2018-2019-statistical-supplement-2020-04.pdf
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/3c9a0637-29c1-4cb2-93ba-c2ac090ab2b5/resource/10b31109-d6a5-4763-81d5-356239812ff3/download/health-ahcip-2018-2019-statistical-supplement-2020-04.pdf
Now, I think what he's actually proposing to do is release individual billing figures with physicians' names attached the them. Ask yourself - how will that help? (4/x)
Will the 40% of docs that are tired of dealing with this man and his boss suddenly have a rosier view of their prospects in Alberta because of this move? It's meant to be provocative. (5/x)
He must know that. So this is, at best, useless posturing. At worst, it's a continuation of a pattern of behaviour that seems intent on destroying the best health system in Canada and remaking it to suit the UCP's preferences. (6/x)
Physicians are speaking up, the AMA is pursing legal action. But we can only protect what we have if all Albertans step up (like the folks in Pincher Creek did) and tell the UCP that they'll fight to save our health care system. (7/7)
