September 15, 2016 Update:

The organization Sum of Us will be delivering a petition, calling for Day to stop the Charter Challenge, to the courthouse in Vancouver on Tuesday, September 20th at 11am. It would be great if there could people there to support them - they would like individuals to be there as the petition represents thousands of signatories.

September 9, 2016 Update:

The BC Health Coalition intervenor group is tentatively scheduled to deliver opening arguments about the case for public health care on Wednesday September 14, and you can be part of the action! We encourage any members who are available to come and lend their support by being in Courtroom 53, at 800 Hornby Street in downtown Vancouver, starting at 10 a.m. There won’t be a rally, but having a pro-public healthcare presence in the courtroom is essential. 

Here’s a few things that you can do to help if you can’t attend the rallies: 

• Social media: The court case campaign is running through the FB site “Save our public health care” https://www.facebook.com/savecdnmedicare/?fref=ts 
• Please like it on Facebook and share the page and the posts. Also, like BCHC on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/bchealthcoalition/?ref=bookmarks
• You can also follow it on twitter at https://twitter.com/BCHC
• If you can write a letter to the editor in response to some of the initial coverage that would be greatly appreciated. For key writing points to frame the issue, check out:www.savemedicare.ca 
• Also, please share and help spread the word.

Background Information:

Dr. Brian Day is attempting to dismantle the public health care system in the B.C. Supreme Court with a reckless constitutional challenge aimed at allowing for-profit, US-style delivery of medically necessary services. Dr. Day, better known as “Dr. Profit,” will be making his case starting September 6. Can you join us to defend the principles of universal, accessible and publicly funded health services that support all members of our community, not only those who can afford to pay for-profit fees?

Dr. Day owns the Cambie Surgery Centre, a for-profit clinic in Vancouver. His lawsuit tries to make the claim that government regulations that place limitations on private for-profit medical services are in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But, what Dr. Profit and other health privateers are up to isn’t about real solutions to health care challenges; what Dr. Day really cares about is making more profit for himself.

A court decision supporting the claim could open the door to privatized health care with private insurance companies and market-based pricing for medical services. Private clinics increase wait times because they entice doctors, nurses and other health care providers to work outside of the public system. Ultimately this puts pressure on governments to privatize health care. Let’s not let it happen.

Make no mistake, the outcome of Dr Profit’s reckless court case will determine the future of medicare in B.C. and threatens medicare across Canada. He has launched an aggressive attack on the fundamental principle of our medicare: health care be provided according to a patient's need and not their ability to pay.

UNIFOR467/MoveUP