Bring back health-care premiums, Albertans say

[CHIMO]

Albertans favour reinstating health-care premiums in the province by a margin of almost two to one, according to a new public opinion poll commissioned by the CBC.

Of the 804 respondents in the telephone poll, 58 per cent support reinstatement, with 38 per cent opposed.

To have such widespread support for reinstating health-care premiums so soon after the Stelmach government removed them is surprising," said Bruce Cameron of NRG Research Group, the organization that conducted the poll.

"The rising political pressure from some fiscal conservatives to address the billion-dollar health-care deficit will only increase given Albertans' willingness to pay their own health-care premiums once again," Cameron said Thursday.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2009/10/07/edmonton-cbc-poll-health-premiums-alberta.html
Last Updated: Thursday, October 8, 2009 | 5:04 PM MT

I expect the numbers in favour will increase since employees didn't get the money when the payments were dropped. It was considered a benefit which the companies were able to keep.

Now adding the fee to seniors would be a different kettle of fish.

[gula]

1. Who paid for them, employers and/or employees?

Here in Québec only the employer pays for public heatlh care. I always found this rather strange to say the least. It seems to me it should be a shared cost.

[Lucy Goosey]

2. Well, it is a shared cost really; our federal taxes fund transfer payments from Ottawa.

(Right? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Anyway, I think it's cool that Albertans recognize that paying the premium is worth it - I hate to see Conservatives de-funding social programs, cutting services, then trying to rally support for privatization.

[CHIMO]

5. After Martin

The federal portion comes to 25%. That is why we see provincial governments turning to the rules. An ounce of flesh is an ounce of flesh.

The federal taxes come from the people that pay those taxes. Just try that phrase in Quebec!

[CHIMO]

4. At Present

There is no charge for either the employee or employer.

About a year ago "Honest Ed" ,the new premier, removed the payments.

Who pays? Well if one was unemployed then the individual had to pay. If one was employed then...

If one was a permanent employee then the company payed and it showed up as a taxable benefit. If your spouse was employed then only one person had to pay and the other didn't. So in the end it was the employee paying.

Right now we have a super, duper cost cutting group that is looking to bring in the old mantra that "We can't afford it" phrase. We went through this scenario eighteen or so years ago. So it won't fly anymore.

To give some perspective to the issue, the cost for a family was around $1,000/year. So if your employer paid, then it would amount to a taxable benefit somewhere around $400/year, depending on your tax bracket.

But again, when the premiums were dropped the companies claimed it was a benefit and they didn't have to pay it. So the companies saved the money and the employees didn't have to pay the taxable benefit.

[daleo]

3. I find this a bit hard to believe

Albertan's wanting a tax increase...it just seems unlikely.

It would be interesting to see how the question was framed. I have been surveyed by a company working on behalf of the Alberta government, and I know that they can phrase the question in a way that ensures that they get the answer they want (e.g. "Would you prefer reinstating health care premiums or complete privatization?").

[CHIMO]

6. Maybe

But one has to consider the environment. And that includes the shenanigans going on in the US at present. Also there are TV adds from a union and others about the closing of the Alberta Hospital. It seems to me like some people are fed up with bean counters.

Agree with you on polls. I never reply or answer anything on them. If it were a written reply, then I would consider it.

Honest Ed has a problem. He removed the increased tax on alcohol saying there would be no tax increase under his rule. His party is splitting from right to far right and they want to cut expenditures.