Our demographic time bomb

I have no doubt that in this BBQ campaign about to be unleashed on Canadians, that the Liberals will play the health care card, saying Conservatives would dismantle the system by creating two tiers of care. Be very wary of leting anyone fall for this scare tactic, since there is not a single word in the Conservative policy platform about deconstructing our system of universal health care.

Having said that, everybody today also understands the system could work better. Waiting lists are too long. Often the latest innovations and the best technology are not available or too slow in coming. While nobody wants to import the American system of patchwork health care coverage, it would be foolish for us not to explore ways of making the system better, so long as it remains free. And that is the key – blending public and private care providers together to improve things – but making sure that every Canadian has access to everything, regardless of their ability to pay.

In fact, Conservatives understand that the challenges facing the health care system today could well pale compared with what’s coming.

Baby Boomers like me make up 32% of the entire Canadian population – that’s almost nine million people, who are now in their fifties. And while we are the fittest generation to ever be at this age, we are all getting older. Inevitably, Canada’s aging population will place even greater burdens on the health care system. So, if it going to meet that challenge, and stay affordable and universal, we had better find ways of making it more efficient. If anyone asks, here’s what the Conservative platform is on health care:

· Conservatives believe everybody should have reasonable access to timely, quality care, regardless of ability to pay.

· Provinces should have maximum flexibility on how to deliver care, within a universal system. Conservatives are committed to paying for this with stable and transparent funding.

· Provinces should be able to use a balance of public and private delivery options for health care. All services to remain publicly funded, but delivered to achieve the best quality and cost.

· Conservatives support having a Chief Public Health Officer in Canada who can help promote wellness and disease prevention – important elements of making the health system sustainable.

If politicians think health care is a giant issue tday, then it will be staggering to see the amount of attention it gets in 2015. At that time fully 40% of the population will over the age of 50 and less than 15% will be under the age of 12. As life expectancy pumps higher, we will be committed to caring for people who will routinely achieve 100 or 110 years of age. And, as we already know, over 90% of all the health care you get in your life comes in less than the last year of it.

Are we all preparing for the retirement crisis ahead – economically and medically? Hardly. But the Conservative approach shows the greatest promise.

Old-style politicians mouth words like “accessibility” and “universality.” Perhaps a modern politician will dare utter the word “collapse.”