Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 1, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 12 Winnipeg free september ban extra Billing under task Force says Ottawa up the Federal government should use its financial leverage with the provinces to Stop doctors from charging patients More than the fees set under Provin Cial medicare a special commons committee said five of the seven members of the Centary task Force on federa provincial fiscal arrangements said Ottawa should try to negotiate a ban on extra Billing and work out other improvements in insured health care in talks with the fiscal report deaf ear by Ottawa is feared Manitoba finance minister Brian Ransom said yesterday he fears Ottawa will not heed the advice of an Al party committee which suggests there be no reductions in Federal Transfer the report of a seven member parliamentary released suggested that Federal contributions to Post secondary equalization payments and other social services remain Federal finance minister Allan Mac Eachen has proposed that spending on the programs should be reduced by billion Over the next two fiscal but the committee concluded after four months of Cross country hearings that the Federal proposals would probably cause severe including greater use of user fees and extra Billing in medicare and higher tuition fees for this is what our province and others have been saying for Over a Ransom but he said he fears the Federal govern ment May not be in the cuts have already started and we Are seeing the effects in our dealings with Dree the department of regional economic expansion in the North Ern the new ramp contract and in the termination of the Community services contribution he changes May be needed the committee also said the Federal government should get More credit for contributions it makes to social be More involved in defining their goals and hold the provinces responsible for How they spend Money in these the task Force into Federal provincial fiscal relations also said changes May be necessary in current constitutional provi Sions that exempt Crown corporations from it recommended that Ottawa emphasize clearly that these fiscal arrangements do not prejudice Federal responsibility for native Peoples and urged changes in the agree ments governing services in the Yukon and the Northwest native people want to assume responsibility for delivering their own services through their own governments and want the Federal government to give them the Money which now goes to the provinces where they live to do the report it seems evident that continued intergovernmental manoeuvring Over responsibility for services leads to serious prob it added while acknowledging the question lies outside its the report said it is hard for the Northern territories to plan properly the administration of social services in the North because their budgets Are set As the result of annual negotiations with better results could be obtained if the necessary agreements covered a longer it All seven maps endorsed the threat of a graduated Holdback of Federal funds to bring any talks aimed at improving medi care to a successful conclusion and to main Tain the integrity of the system As a committee members were unanimous in their View that doctors should be Well paid for their work and fully compensated forthe expenses of their the task Force feels that the legitimate interests of doctors must give Way to the Broad Public perception that Union i trolled Billing of patients beyond the Levels of provincial medical insurance plan schedules will ultimately destroy the four liberals and one new Democrat on the committee came out in favor of a total ban on extra the two progressive conservatives opted instead for greater control of the practice that would allow forms of extra Billing in some provinces to Contin the Canadian medical Long a supporter of extra yesterday scheduled an emergency meeting in Ottawa thursday to discuss what action will be taken to fight the Lionel president of the Ontario medical said that doctors will lobby the provinces to ignore the recommend and if that fails Industrial action will probably flex Muscles lobbying is asking somebody to listen to he if that Doest you use a flexing of Only Quebec and British Columbia now prevent doctors who extra Bill their patients from being reimbursed with medicare the committee said the Basic system used since 1977 for financing medicare should continue for the time but talks aimed at Banning extra Billing and making other changes should begin right in other the committee rejected the Contention of the medical association that medicare is suffering from a Lack of funds and described the cams attempt to com pare Canadian expenditures on health with costs in other countries As As it rejected claims that Doc tors incomes have fallen victim to inflation Over the years or have not kept Pace with the incomes of other on the question of extra the majority report said doctors who want to charge More than provincial fee schedules should get out of medicare Nei ther doctors nor their patients would get any Public Money under this along with the ban on extra the liberals and nip want a system of binding arbitration brought in to ensure that doctors fees Are set conservative my Don who rep resents the Toronto area Riding of Mississauga told reporters yesterday it would be unfair to deny taxpayers any Access to medicare funds through a total ban on extra what he and Elaine tory my for the Alberta Riding of proposed instead is the system of opting out As Practised in Ontario and doctors would have to opt out of medicare entirely and collect All their fees from All their patients but patients would still receive cheques directly from provincial health officials covering the amounts permitted under the fee the committee agreed that Ottawa needs More control Over medi care As a whole and should be Able to selectively Cut off funds to provinces that dont meet certain Basic conditions in their medicare the report proposed Federal provincial negotiations As a first step in resolving disputes and the gradual withdrawal of Federal funds As a last we consider that to ensure the key National goals Are met by the Federal transfers to provincial governments must be conditional on programs meeting specified to Ankur Ottawa up an Energy Bank operated jointly by Ottawa and the provinces is the Only acceptable method of sharing resource a parliamentary task Force reported the Al party group rejected several other Energy Revenue sharing these included one by Ontario which would have off about billion a year from resource Rich provinces mostly Alberta at present redistributed the Money to have not including the institution favored by the task Force would Bank Energy revenues which would be invested in renewable resources or Industrial these investments of have to offer a reasonable rate of return to contributing the report the Challenge is to find a new National institution to smooth or Mutu Alize successive surges or Waves of Revenue in different the report the task Force objected to the other propos als because they gave too much responsibility to the provinces for redistributing wealth among the various regions of the country and violated Basic principles of Federal the task Force noted the vigor with Waluch most provincial governments opposed these the objections May not apply to the Energy the task Force and the creation of such an institution might also ease Energy disputes Between Ottawa and the it suggested Ottawa take the initiative in current Energy negotiations to promote the the report conceded that not All provinces would be winners at any one time under such a but Mutual participation promises each member some Benefit in the Long for a province like being a major contributor at an Early stage would then mean not a permanent but a continuing stake in a permanent National the task Force also noted that Alberta has already transferred massive amounts of Rev Enue to the other provinces by virtue of enforced Low prices for Oil and the Energy Bank was the Only method suggested for closing the widening Gap be tween the resource Rich and resource poor the Federal equalization the task Force is not designed to make All provinces but rather to ensure that All provinces can provide at least a Standard level of Public and the task Force concluded that the Basic features of the equalization program should be keeping a Cool head w m Michell a j001 to a Sticky problem As humid weather hit s crowning touch to beat the heat was achieved with the help of a Sheridan the original 1958 Cox Tri pane picture windows 10 is asst limited time Only 4522805 554 Pembina school budget backed Ottawa fed eral government should keep its purse open for pos Sec Mondary schools under rent especially now that Many provinces Are tightening their belts on education a Spe Cial parliamentary commit tee report numerous reports show colleges and pos secondary institutions Are Short of Money and Stu dents despite a general de Mand for More skilled work ers in the labor the committees recommendation that Ottawa continue its share for Educa Tion billion to the provinces in fiscal 1981 1982 be welcomed by school leaders who feared rumours the government was planning to slash its contributions by up to changes suggested the report suggests the government alter its current arrangement slightly by offering Cash and tax Points to the provinces through a separate program instead of coupled with medi care payments As is now any changes in Federal support should be agreed to by the provinces As Well As says the report by the seven member Al party task Force on federa Provin Cial fiscal the Federal governments contribution to higher Educa Tion is it adding that the provinces May be a Little hard pressed to continue their other recommendations include d Federal and provincial ministers consider and de cide on plans to help needy students wanting a higher d the ministers agree on a definition to the purpose of higher education with a priority on the need for More highly qualified manpower in the Secretary of who is responsible for Educa Tion report annually to careers a better careers every Winnipeg free press Home delivery 9570550 Dominion stores limited correction notice we apologize the following item has been incorrectly advertised in our Dominion stores and of August 1 981 presently reads fresh Canadian pork meaty Side spareribs should have read fresh Canadian pork meaty Side spareribs now Dominion Frozen from concentrate lemonade a no now Dominion Frozen from concentrate White Pink lemonade now we sincerely regret any inconvenience or misunderstanding this error May have caused thank you for shopping at Dominion thinking of changing from Oil to Gas Northman hondas Hail damage car up off Mega ave i it number one in efficiency in Canada it leu you Cul your Bill by up to 63 Over conventional Oil tired and up to 47 Over conventional Gas for further 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