Medicare as we know it is being challenged in the British Columbia Supreme Court. “Cambie Corp. Goes to Court – The Legal Assault on Universal Health Care” by Colleen Fuller outlines this most recent and serious attack on public health in Canada.

Produced by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) in collaboration with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the report focuses on the recent Cambie Charter challenge where a group of private sector advocates, led by Brian Day, are challenging the provincial Medicare Protection Act (MPA).

Current laws in B.C. protect patients from becoming a source of profit for private investors and clinic owners. Now, Day wants the B.C. Supreme Court to legalize extra-billing, user fees and private insurance, creating an American-style health care system here in Canada.

This CCPA report reviews the evidence on the impact of for-profit providers and payers on wait times and looks at the potential consequences a successful bid could have on Canada’s most valued and cherished public program.