EDMONTON – Alberta should not contract out medical services as a way to cut health care costs, the president of Alberta’s largest union said today in response to recent media statements as well as the premier’s address Monday evening.

"The reality is that health care costs are manageable," said Dan MacLennan, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, which represents more than 18,000 health care employees, including approximately 2,000 who work directly for the Alberta Mental Health Board. "It is wrong to create a sense of panic by claiming they’re rising faster than they are."

"While we’re still waiting for specifics," MacLennan added, "it’s clear that contracting out services is an option being considered by the government.

"Contracting out will increase costs, not reduce them," MacLennan stated.
MacLennan said the Mazankowski report failed to deal with or acknowledge improvements already made within the provincial health care system and co-operation between regions. Nor did it directly review the number of regional health authorities and their boundaries to see if 17 is the best number for provincial health care delivery.

MacLennan also said increasing health care premiums is a regressive move in terms of taxation. It would have been fairer to dedicate next year’s corporate tax cuts directly to health care services, he said.

However, he said he was glad the premier did not mention the Mazankowski report’s call to hand the services provided by the Alberta Mental Health Board to health regions. "We hope the premier’s not dealing specifically with this issue in his address means the government will not act hastily to implement this very bad idea without an open and fair review."

"If this idea is implemented, mental health services will be fragmented, serious gaps in service will appear, there will be duplications and costs will rise," he stated. "The Alberta Mental Health Board is the best way to deal with complex and essential mental health care services that need to be co-ordinated province-wide.

"Fragmenting services is no answer to problems created by under-funding," MacLennan added. "If the committee is serious about saving money and delivering all health services more efficiently, it should reviewed the number of health regions rather than moving these important services into regions that should themselves be restructured."

MacLennan warned taxpayers not to be fooled by the claims of some groups that say they represent people involved in mental health care or recipients of mental health services. "These groups would like you to believe every agency and individual involved in mental health care agrees with this policy. In fact, they often represent employer groups that see advantages for their own businesses from dealing with health regions instead of an efficient, unified, province-wide board.
"We challenge them to show a single fair and properly researched report that concludes it is more cost effective to deliver these services through regions than the Mental Health Board," MacLennan said.

"Before any major fragmentation of the board proceeds there should be open hearings and debate from people on all sides of the issue," he said. "Doctors and other professionals are not of one mind on this issue and the public deserves more input and information before something that can be improved is broken-up."

"The Mental Health Board serves a special function setting and enforcing province-wide standards the type of specialization that enhances health care delivery across the province," he said.
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For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-910-8392 (cell phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cell phone)

NOTE TO AUPE MEMBERS: A copy of an opinion piece by AUPE President Dan MacLennan on the topic of why the services of the Alberta Mental Health Board must not be farmed out to Alberta’s health regions was sent to editors and news directors with this news release. That article can be accessed by clicking here.

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