CUPE NL urging Minister John Haggie to support a new Health Accord

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR--(Marketwired - Jan. 19, 2016) - CUPE NL President Wayne Lucas is urging the province's new health minister, John Haggie, to support a new Health Accord at the upcoming meeting of ministers in Vancouver.

Lucas says he's written Haggie on behalf of his more than 6,000 members here in NL to let him know CUPE is encouraged by the commitment of the new federal government to negotiate a new accord.

Says Lucas, "As the ministers of health get set to meet on January 20 and 21, we hope that job one for them will be negotiating a new Health Accord to strengthen and expand our public Medicare system."

Lucas says his letter reminds Minister Haggie that our province is facing its own challenges, including recent efforts by the previous government to try and privatize long- term care through P3s (Public Private Partnerships).

CUPE is urging all of the Ministers of Health to support a new Health Accord that includes the following elements:

• Stable and adequate funding from the federal government, with annual increases established at a minimum 6%;

• A national continuing care program that extends the principles of the Canada Health Act to long-term care, home and community care and establishes minimum staffing and phasing out of for-profit delivery in this sector;

• A national universal Pharmacare program that provides coverage to all Canadians through a national formulary, evidence-based evaluation of prescribing and protection from trade deals.