B.C.’s Medical Services Commission has filed a court injunction against Telus Health, over its paid health-care program.
The commission filed the injunction in B.C. Supreme Court Thursday alleging Telus’s LifePlus program contravenes the Medicare Protection Act, according to a statement from Health Minister Adrian Dix. “It is very important to uphold the Medicare Protection Act, which is in place to preserve our publicly managed and fiscally sustainable health-care system for British Columbia. Access to necessary medical care should be based on need and not an individual’s ability to pay,” Dix said.
The LifePlus program costs $4,650 for the first year. The Medical Services Commission has been tasked with looking into whether it allows those who pay to unfairly jump the health-care queue.