January 3, 1993 40 pages

GRAVITY BROUGHT levity on ‘slippery. slopes for this thrit- -seeking bunch. who
recently enjoyed a toboggan -ride on Seymour Mountain. The North Shore

mountains’ have... heen
snowfalls. a

; turned |

iato. winter ‘wonderlarids with" ‘the recent :

SUNDAY

| Stay chic t

hrough

| winter’ s big freeze

 Cronnaz 14

Distribution 986-1337

NDP MLA David Sei breck
wants hospital privileges. of
protesting doctors revoked.

- NORTH VANCOUVER-Lonsdale

Schreck has asked, Heaith

NDP. MLA‘ Davi
Minister Elizabeth: Cull

remove the hospital. privileges of any doctor: who either
opts out of medicare Ur chooses to extra bill patients:

Schreck made the request. after
the News. supplied shim with’ a
notice a: North Vancouver doctor

has been giving his patients. The ;
notice explains to patients why the,
doctor .plans “to ‘opt out of the”

provincial Medical. Services Plan
(MSP) payment. structure. uw
The-notice was accompanied by

a “sample: fee?! list.) The doctor .-

works in Schreck’s riding.

The News obtained the infor-”-

mation from one of the doctor’s
patients, who asked not to be
named...

Schreck: in turn sent the: notice

‘and: the doctor’ s fee structure to

“Cull. va
“TY believe: inat special measures
are necessary for physicians who
both. opt out and -extra® bill, In

particular, 1 am. writing’ to urge
you to censider icgislation ‘to
temove the.” hospital :/ privileges

‘from any physician. who ‘both opts ‘

out of MSP and extra bills."
“1 cannot .see - why — public
resources ~ should“ be. ‘made avail-

“able to any physician’ who fails to’
exercise - public

responsibility,”
wrote Schreck.

fs. Inv a. Dec, 27 News story, Dr:
- Tony “Chan, ithe North Shore’s
“B.C. .Medical- Association
“{BCMA) . representative, said | at

; least eight ‘North’ Shore doctors

plan to, opt out of: medicare on
. . amount ‘and ‘the net cost -to. the.

«patient, according to: the doctor’ $

Jan: 15. :

Under the MSP payment’ struc:
ture,. doctors bill the “MSP. -for
medical services provided: t0'B.C,

residents. The government in’ turn.

- reimburses the doctors.’
But doctors’ who have opted:
bill their” patients - directly.

out
“The patients ‘im- turn ‘seek™ reim-
bursement * from. the, _ provincial
government. :

‘Chan said the move by the eight, ’:
‘now unable, or-unwilling; to ade- “

quately

North Shore doctors.to. leave: the

~.MSP is not:a protest: but rather a’

way to -‘‘preserve. medicare.” He

“added that, the government cannot :

Horoscopes Sennen
Bob Hunter’... .

» 20% .and ° 33% more:

. charging “hi

By Surj Rattan:
News Reporter -
continue to-fund medicare with, a

“*blank cheque.”’. |
Chan: said doctors who opt out

‘of the MSP will charge. their pa- .
‘tients the BCMA rate, “which: he

said is about 10% higher ‘than’ the
provincial MSP rate...

But a patient of the North Van
couver doctor, ‘who plans.to, opt!
out.of, medicare.and has. attached’
his ‘new. fee. structure: to ‘a‘ notice
he is giving his’ patients, said his’
doctor’ will” be charging between,
for, his: medi-
cal services. ©" we :
“Dre Chan: is’ sway “oft - the
mark... my. family doctor - will -be-.
raising his. fees,a. whopping: 20% :
to. 33.6%. © For;..fear. of . unfair’,
treatment by doz tors, ] choose to.
remain anonymous

“But Ido feel. that . the’ public
‘should be. made‘aware:of the lack.

~ of principles - of certain: doctors

who , jump, LON this band ‘wagon +

and: ‘raise. “their. fees dispropor-_
tionately,””

said the patient... 0
According: to the. new fee struc-..
ture the’ patient. received, .once his
doctor: ‘opts, out,’ he. will start.:
‘ patients’ $30. fora
regular office visit. But the’ MSP -’
will: only cover’ $23.50.’of that °,

fee structure, will be $6.50-.
“For ‘delivery «.and _ in-hospital
care, the docior.. will’charge | his:

“patients $440. ° However; the. MSP ©

will only cover $366 of, that. ‘The’
fee structure determines ‘the ; net.

‘cost to,the patient will be $73. 64.

the notice to his Patients, the
doctor. wrote: . =
“Our -provincial : government: is

fund health : care. This:

“@ Vintage Years. .
-& What's Going On

’ Weather

Monday, mostly éloudy_
~ bow: PC. High arc.