Discussion topic: What impact would allowing private practices to exist have on the healthcare system in BC?

Jeff Stein is medical doctor in BC and the owner of Stein Medical. He runs three clinics in downtown Vancouver, and has experienced the short-falls of BC’s public healthcare system for 30 years.

The average Canadian medical student graduates with over $158,000 in debt. After becoming a doctor, the maximum amount that a General Practitioner can charge per patient visit is $30. That $30 limit applies to all GPs, regardless of whether they have one year of experience or 25. Additionally, there is a cap that restricts how many patients a doctor sees in a day.

The problem?

There is a massive shortage of GPs and family doctors in Vancouver. It can take hours to see a doctor at a clinic. This city would need another 50 family doctors to serve the population. Far too often patients are bounced from clinic to clinic to clinic looking for an opening, and in the end, they end up waiting in emergency, placing the burden on hospitals.

The Cause?

Factor in the:

• incredibly high costs of school

• mandated billing rate of $30

• restrictive daily patient cap

• overhead costs of running a medical practice (facility, staff, supplies)

• constant overtime hours (non-billable)

It’s hard to see the incentive for medical students to go into general practice. Long, stressful workdays without fair compensation.

2:15 - How much doctors make: GPs vs Specialists

7:20 - Shortage of family doctors in BC

12:20 - How much do GPs really make?

16:20 - Why are there so few GPs in BC?

21:45 - $30 per patient

26:00 - Highest paid doctors in BC

29:55 - Lack of GPs burdening hospitals

36:10 - Two tiered system or free market

44:40 - Privatizing healthcare in BC

50:50 - Working for free

54:14 - Experience does not result in higher pay

58:40 - Why BC should adopt privatized healthcare

1:00:50 - Achieving affordable AND quality healthcare for all