From respected doctor and passionate Medicare advocate Danielle
Martin, an important check-up on our health-care system--and what
urgently needs fixing.
Dr. Danielle Martin sees the cracks and challenges in our health-care
system every day. In the style of Atul Gawande, she uses real patient
stories to illustrate what works in our health-care system and what
doesn't. Most importantly, she proposes six big ideas to make healthcare
achievable and affordable: 1) a national drug program; 2) change the way
we deliver care; 3) reduce unnecessary tests; 4) strengthen primary
care; 5) create a guaranteed income program; and 6) scale up successful
innovation.
One of the most urgent reforms she advocates for is a national
pharmacare program, instead of the piecemeal provincial pattern of
buying drugs. Canada could save billions if drugs were bought in bulk by
a single body, which in turn could fund a national prescription program.
Patients also need a regular GP instead of overusing hospital Emergency
Clinics. Hospitals need to take into account a patient's overall medical
history, at every stage from admission to discharge. And since poverty
is the greatest predictor of ill health, Dr. Martin argues that a
guaranteed income could prevent and alleviate many health problems,
reducing pressure on the system and our wallets.
Passionate, accessible, and authoritative, Dr. Martin is a fervent
supporter of the best of Medicare and a persuasive critic of what needs
fixing.
