Secure the Future of Medicare: A Call to Care Health care in Canada is a fundamental right without distinction of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, political belief, immigration status, and economic or social condition. Organizations representing millions of Canadians will mobilize to defend this right and to ensure that the following principles shape the direction of the Health Accord renewal: 1. The recognition of the highest attainment of health as a fundamental right throughout life and the necessity of preserving public health through active measures of promotion, prevention, and protection including such determinants as housing, food safety, income, education, environment, employment and peace. 2. The recognition that many Aboriginal people have a poor health status and a high burden of disease. The current system is failing and requires a transformation of the relationship between Canada and its Aboriginal people to find solutions together. The Aboriginal people must be at the First Ministers discussions on the Health Accord as these solutions involve all levels of government. 3. The recognition of health care as a public good for which no financial barriers must be erected. We affirm the need for a system of public health care which is organized on the basis of public administration, public insurance and the delivery of services on a public, not-forprofit basis. 4. Opposition to any commercialization and privatization of health care. Therefore the federal government must negotiate a general exclusion of health services and health insurance from all trade agreements. 5. The need for the federal government to fully assume its responsibilities in respect to health, particularly by securing the adequate and predictable federal health transfers and enforcement of the Canada Health Act. 6. The reaffirmation of the original vision of a truly comprehensive public health care system for Canadians providing a continuum of services. The next steps are the expansion of the public system to include a universal Pharmacare plan, a system of home and community care, longterm care, and a strategy for mental health. 7. The need to move towards a community-based, multi-disciplinary team approach to the management, organization and delivery of services, especially in primary care. Levels of services must be sufficient so that the burden of care does not fall on families, mainly women. 8. An accountable health care system through democratic participation and transparent governance at all levels. 9. The recognition that health care workers are critical to the effective operation of the health care system and that decent wages and working conditions are essential to high quality care. We come together to commit to ensuring that governments throughout Canada renew their commitment to protect and expand Canada s public health care system to meet the present and future needs of all people living in Canada, based on the principles (public administration, universality, comprehensiveness, accessibility and portability) and conditions (no extra billing or user fees, or queue-jumping) of the Canada Health Act. Regardless of where we live, it is now imperative to reaffirm the social values we all share. These values must guide our collective choices for future of health care. What stands between Medicare and its destruction are the peoples of Canada. Future generations are depending on our vigilance.
ENDORSEMENTS (243) Updated: July 16, 2012 Action santé Outaouais Alberta Friends of Medicare Alberta Retired Teachers Association Alliance Against Poverty Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique de la santé et des services sociaux Alliance of Seniors to Protect Canada s Social Programs Alternative to Racism Society of Vancouver Alternatives North American Income Life Insurance Company Association coopérative d économie familiale de Québec Association coopérative d économie familiale du Nord de Montréal Association des locataires de Sherbrooke Association for the visually impared of the Estrie county inc. Association of Jewish Seniors Association of Ontario Health Centres B.C. Forum B.C. Government and Service Employees Union B.C. Health Coalition B.C. Retired Teachers Association Bernard Betel Centre for Creative Living Cambridge Provincial NDP Riding Association Canada s National Interest Council Canadian Alliance of Community Health Centre Associations Canadian Association of Retired Teachers Canadian Association of Social Workers Canadian Auto Workers Canadian Auto Workers Skilled Trades Council Canadian Auto Workers Local 1106 Canadian Auto Workers Local 1325 Retired Workers Chapter Canadian Auto Workers Local 1520 Retired Workers Chapter Canadian Auto Workers Local 229 Canadian Auto Workers Local 27 (Retiree Chapter) Canadian Cancer Survivor Network Canadian Doctors for Medicare Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions Canadian Federation of University Women Canadian Harm Reduction Network Canadian Health Coalition Canadian Health Professionals Secretariat Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Canadian Institute of Islamic Studies and Muslim Immigrant Aid Canadian Labour Congress Canadian Labour Congress Pensioners and Retirees Association Canadian Pensioners Concerned Canadian Union of Public Employees Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1302 (Queen s University Library Technicians) Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1999 (Lakeridge Health) Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2119 (Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital) Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4480 (Lanark County Paramedics) Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 4980 (Yorkton Saskatchewan, Sunrise Health Region) Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 894 (Group Health Centre, Sault Ste. Marie) Canadian Women s Health Network Care Watch Caribbean Canadian Seniors CAW Local 229 Retirees Chapter-Thunder Bay Centrale des syndicats du Québec Centre for Senior Information BC Interior Society Chatham Kent Health Coalition
Citizens for Public Justice Coalition des associations de consommateurs du Québec Coalition des tables régionales d organismes communautaires Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents Rights Coalition Solidarité Santé Comité des travailleurs accidentés de l Estrie Comité des travailleurs et travailleuses accidenté(e)s de l Estrie Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 433 Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 593 Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 6 Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 7 Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 914 Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 591G Concerned Friends of Ontario Citizens in Care Facilities Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec Confédération des syndicats nationaux Congress of Union Retirees of Canada Congress of Union Retirees of Canada Burlington Chapter Congress of Union Retirees of Canada Hamilton Chapter Congress of Union Retirees of Canada London Chapter Congress of Union Retirees of Canada Oakville Chapter Congress of Union Retirees of Canada Stratford Chapter Congress of Union Retirees of Canada Woodstock Chapter Congress of Union Retirees--Thunder Bay Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain Conseil provincial des affaires sociales Conseil régional FTQ Montréal métropolitain Cornwall & District Labour Council Council of Canadians Council of Canadians Brockville Chapter Council of Canadians Guelph Chapter Council of Canadians Kawarthas Chapter Council of Canadians Peterborough Chapter Council of Canadians Toronto Chapter Council of Canadians Vancouver/Burnaby Chapter Council of Canadians Red Deer AB and Area Chapter Dalhousie Legal Aid Service Department of Community Development and Social Work, Algoma University Education and Practice Narratives in the Health Professions Elder Connections Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario Ethical Action Committee Federation CJA Social Advocacy Committee Fédération de la santé du Québec Fédération des femmes du Québec Fédération des syndicats de la santé et des services sociaux Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec Front d action populaire en réaménagement urbain Guardian Angels Program Guelph Wellington Health Coalition Habayit Shelanu Seniors Hamilton Health Coalition Health Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador Health for All Health Nexus Health Providers Against Poverty Health Sciences Association of B.C. Hospital Employee s Union Illusion-Emploi de l Estrie Inter Pares InterChurch Health Ministries Canada
International Association of Fire Fighters International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Jamaican Canadian Association Jewish Senior Alliance Kamloops Health Coalition Kingston Faith & Justice Coalition Korean Inter-agency Network L'Association coopérative d'économie familiale de Les AmiEs de la terre de l Estrie Les Frères et Soeurs d Émile-Nelligan London and District Labour council London Health Coalition London Region Area Council of the Congress of Union Retirees Canada Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle MacKillop Centre for Social Justice Manitoba Nurses Union Médecins québécois pour le régime public Medical Reform Group Mnaamodzawin Health Services N.S. Citizens Health Care Network National Association of Women and the Law National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation National Union of Public and General Employees New Brunswick Federation of Union Retirees New Brunswick Health Coalition New Brunswick Nurses Union New Brunswick Society of Retired Teachers New Brunswick Union of Public and Private Employees Newfoundland & Labrador Nurses Union Niagara Regional Labour Council North End Community Health Centre North York Latino Americano Seniors Northern AIDS Connection Northern Waters Presbytery Nova Scotia Nurses Union Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group Nova Scotia Teachers Union Oakville/Mississauga KAIROS Group Occupy Hamilton Older Canadians Network Older Women s Network Ontario Coalition Against Poverty Ontario Coalition of Senior Citizens Organizations Ontario Federation of Labour Ontario Federation of Union Retirees Ontario Health Coalition Ontario Humanist Society Ontario Nurses Association Ontario Public Service Employees Union Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation Ottawa Raging Grannies PEI Health Coalition Peterborough and District Labour Council Peterborough and District Labour Council Ploughshares Ottawa Politics Re-Spun Positive Living BC Prince Edward Island Federation of Labour Prince Edward Island Nurses Union Prince Edward Island Retired Teachers Prince Edward Island Teachers Federation Provincial Council of Women of Ontario
PSAC Local 610 (UWO Graduate Teaching Assistants Union) Public Health Social Justice Collective Public Service Alliance of Canada Québec Association of Retired Teachers (QART) Québec Provincial Association of Retired Educators Registered Nurses Association of Ontario Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario Regroupement des Associations des Personnes Handicapées de la Gaspésie et des Îles inc. Regroupement des organismes communautaires Regroupement québécois des CALACS Retired Teachers of Ontario (District 3 Algoma) RightOnCanada.ca Riverdale s Seniors Council RNAO Parish Nursing Interest Group Saint John and Area KAIROS Sarnia and District Labour Council Saskatchewan Health Coalition Saskatchewan Union of Nurses Saskatoon Community Clinic Sault Ste. Marie Federal NDP Riding Association Sault Ste. Marie Provincial NDP Riding Association SCommunications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Local 29 Seniors Health Advisory Committee Service budgétaire de St-Félicien Service Employees International Union SEIU-West Sierra Club Canada Société des enseignantes et des enseignants retraités francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick Solidarité populaire Estrie Solidarité populaire Estrie Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Federal NDP association Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Provincial NDP association Stratford and District Labour Council Students for Medicare Syndicat des infirmières, inhalothérapeutes et infirmières auxiliaires Table d'action contre l'appauvrissement de l'estrie Table des regroupements provinciaux d organismes communautaires et bénévoles Table régionale des centres de femmes de Montréal métropolitain-laval The Council of Canadians, Calgary Chapter The Council of Senior Citizens Organization BC The Northern Waters Presbytery Peace and Justice Circle of the United Church of Canada The Union of Canadian CAW Staff Representatives Thunder Bay Health Coalition Timmins and District Labour Council Toronto and Area Council of Women Toronto Council on Aging Toronto Health Coalition Toronto Seniors Assembly Toronto Seniors Forum Union des consommateurs United Church of Canada United Food and Commercial Workers Union United Nurses of Alberta United Steelworkers University of Regina Academic and Administrative Pensioners Association Vancouver Cross Cultural Senior Network Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society Wellness Training Services Windsor Essex Health Coalition Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care York University Graduate Students Association www.healthcoalition.ca