Oh Doctor, Doctor! Canada is Calling, Calling!

Sorry folks for the long break since my last post.  I have been a little busy but thought that this morning I would write about the new Statistics Canada report on the shortage of doctors.  Rather, the number of Canadians without a family doctor.

According to the report, 4 million Canadians do not have a regular doctor, and recent immigrants are the most likely to be without one.  Only 73% of people living in Quebec have a regular doctor, the lowest rate in the country.  Nova Scotia, however, had the highest percentage at 94%.  Of those who do not have a family doctor, the study showed that 76% use local clinics and community health centres as their primary source of care.

This lead to me thinking…what does this mean for the corporate consolidation we are starting to see in places like Alberta and Ontario for medical services?  ListenUp Canada, as an example, are consolidating hearing clinics and making access and service more streamlined.  Will private walk-in clinics be branded next?  For those looking for new business venture ideas, might I suggest a coffee in the coming weeks?  We may be onto something here, especially if this trend continues! 

Cost Are Rising? Groundbreaking.

I am really getting tired of reports indicating that health care costs are on the rise. It is kind of like saying this summer’s hottest trend will be swimsuits. But yet again, another report has been released (you know who you are) stating that health-care cost increases continue to outpace other business cost increases as well as the consumer price index.  Groundbreaking study.

Where are the reports on trends in cost-containment or innovative benefit strategies?  How about a study on the trends within small to medium sized employers or recommendations from businesses to reduce costs?  As an industry, we tend to state the obvious far too much.  Unless a study reveals that costs have actually gone down, why on earth report the findings?  Especially if the report does not offer any solutions to reverse the trend. 

To my colleagues in the benefits world, for the love of god, please stop stating the obvious.  Otherwise we will all have to get new jobs in new fields where these skills are embraced.  By the way, it is currently 18°C and partly cloudy in Toronto with light winds coming from the West and as the sun sets, I expect it will get cooler.