Loaded questions: Pollsters push privatization

Polling plays an important part in the privateers’ plans to dismantle Medicare. By undermining confidence in the public health system and exaggerating support for private medicine, for-profit proponents work to soften up politicians and the public to the notion of further privatization.

Clearly Canadians are concerned about the state of public health care. But the solution they advocate is increased funding. Yet pollsters working for various clients — many with a vested interest in private medicine — are working overtime to shake that belief.

Most controversial this past year were a series of polls conducted by Pollara for pharmaceutical giant Merck Frosst and the Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations. With headlines such as ‘Canadians want more health care,’ ‘Support weakening for Medicare,’ and "Canadians want right to pay for own health care," the Pollara research created quite a stir.

Called the National Survey of Health Care Providers and Users, the study polled 1200 Canadians and 850 health care professionals according to the National Post, which reported on the survey six months after its initial release. The survey found that 79 per cent agreed Canada’s health care system was the best in the world, though confidence was failing for a substantial number (55 per cent). Almost everyone wanted timely access to health care (98 per cent) and 73 per cent would be willing to use their own resources if they do not get timely access — hardly a ringing endorsement of private health care.

In December 1998, Southam had reported on an earlier Pollara survey, also for Merck Frosst. The survey found that 96 per cent of Canadians believed Medicare needed "substantial repairs, if not a complete rebuilding." At the same time, 80 per cent of respondents saw Medicare as a defining characteristic of Canada, again affirming that our system was the best in the world.

In another Pollara poll in August 1999, Canadians were presented with several dire scenarios. One argument read "Hospitals are overcrowded and equipment outdated by world standards. People should have the right to buy their own medical services and tax laws should make this easier for ordinary people." This scenario combines four different concepts, each contentious. Forty-one per cent agreed with the argument and 8 per cent responded ‘don’t know.’ Disagreement was not specified but would appear to be 51 per cent.

A majority — 53 per cent — also agreed that "the health care system was working well but only needed fine-tuning and that private medicine should be restricted by law." The researchers concluded from these two arguments that support for Medicare was "faltering" and that "a large minority believe the system is sufficiently corroded that the law should be changed to facilitate more private medicine."

Most recently, Pollara released a poll in January 2000 on user fees. After "remind[ing] those who were surveyed that as the population ages and health care demands increase, there will be relatively fewer working Canadians paying taxes needed to fund social programs," respondents were asked whether they would support alternate sources of funding for health care. From this loaded question, the survey concludes — and the National Post headline trumpets — "75% of Canadians support health care user fees."

Combining convoluted questions, obtuse analysis and gobbledegook, pollsters lend credibility to those planting the seeds of for-profit medicine. Their strategy: Claim that the system is collapsing. State that government can’t or won’t act. Encourage people to take matters into their own hands.

Despite the pitch — and the fact that our health care system urgently requires major reform —Canadians value what they have. They want government to reinvest in public health care and they’re prepared to pay the taxes required to support Medicare.