Expand medicare to honour Canadians with disabilities

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Expand medicare to honour Canadians with disabilities

December 3 is International Day of Disabled Persons

Ottawa - International Day of Disabled Persons is celebrated December 3 each year. It was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1992.

The annual observance of the Day aims to increase awareness and understanding of disability issues and trends, and to mobilize support for practical action at all levels, by, with and for persons with disabilities.

The theme for the observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons in 2002 is "Independent Living and Sustainable Livelihoods."

According to the National Union of Public and General Employees there is no better way for Canadian governments to promote this theme and reaffirm their commitment to equality for Canadians with disabilities than by protecting and expanding public Medicare.

As governments desert and diminish public Medicare they desert and diminish their commitment to equality for all. No one knows this better than Canadians with disabilities. Thus, the effort to respect, restore and expand public Medicare is, for Canadians with disabilities, not just about better medical care. It is also an effort to respect, restore and expand the equality of Canadians with disabilities.

Five principles of Medicare

Since the inception of public Medicare in Canada, society has become much more inclusive of, accessible to, and accepting of people with various types of disabilities. That is because the five principles of public Medicare in Canada (accessibility, public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, and portability) support the basic goals of people with disabilities: equality of opportunity, full participation in society, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.

Ensuring Medicare continues to operate according to the five basic principles is a good start to promoting equality for Canadians with disabilities. But, it is not enough. Canadians with disabilities need more. There are still too many essential health support services that are unavailable or unaffordable to thousands of Canadians with disabilities. While these necessary supports are diverse, the most widespread and acute needs relate the three areas:

▪ Personal support services of all kinds (such as self-directed attendant care, home support services, sign language interpretation, communication supports, and personal support workers);
▪ Medical assistive devices and supplies (such as mobility aids, hearing aids, incontinence supplies, home oxygen, etc.); and
▪ Prescription drugs.

A priority for strengthening Canada's Medicare should be the development of a coordinated plan involving all levels of government in these three areas. Such a plan must be developed in consultation with disability rights activists. The fundamental principles that should from the basis of this plan for expanding Medicare are:

1. Health support services should be made available to all Canadians regardless of type of disability, age or geographic location.
2. Health support services should be provided on an equal basis to all, regardless of residential or living arrangements. In particular, persons living independently or with families and other caregivers in the community should be eligible on an equal basis with persons living in residences and institutions.
3. Health support services should be provided with national standards applicable to provinces and territories and portable across all jurisdictions.
4. Access to health support services should not be restricted by user-fees or co-payments.

By expanding public Medicare to include home care, support services, and prescription drugs, governments in Canada would go a long way in promoting greater equality, better health outcomes, and independence for Canadians with disabilities while at the same time ensuring our public health care system remains accessible, sustainable and equitable.

(NUPGE: 3 December 2002)

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