My leader had not had the opportunity to hear what I had to say when he made this remark. It takes time for these ideas to spread.
I think it would be very much in the interest of Canada if members from the other side opened their minds just a little bit. There might be ideas out there that they have not thought of that would do exactly the same thing they want to do, except it would save the system at the same time.
Let me read something. Some critics claim that these medical service accounts that have been experimented with in the United States will encourage people to avoid preventive care. Yet experience shows that the reverse is true.
I wonder if the member would please listen.
Medical service accounts make money available immediately when the medical need exists. This allows people to make purchases they might not make if they had a traditional deductible requiring an immediate out of pocket payment. Therefore his objection to this scheme is simply incorrect. We would preserve exactly what we have now. It is not a traditional deductible system.
On the other hand, it is quite clear that I am prepared to continue to support a system which has no co-insurance and no deductibles if ways can be found to finance it.