In Brief – Freeze could force “rather ugly” cuts / Ontario repatriates bariatric surgery / Obama health care bills a gift to private insurance companies

More hospital CEOs are warning of impending cuts should the province freeze funding to hospitals later this year. Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj told the Windsor Star  “if the announcement is zero, which is not going to be a shocker… there isn’t one hospital in this LHIN that is going to be able to balance (its budget) without making service cuts and job cuts.” Musyj told the newspaper wage restrictions are necessary to avoid job losses and service reductions. OPSEU continues to maintain a web site where those opposed to a funding freeze can write an e-letter to their MPP and copy it to the premier, health minister, and two opposition health critics. Go to www.avoidingzero.ca  ….  Family physicians will no longer be able to determine if a patient needs bariatric surgery, but will instead have to refer him or her to one of five designated assessment centers in the province. Bariatric surgery includes gastric bypass, a procedure which reduces the volume of the individual’s stomach. Ontario is trying to repatriate the OHIP-funded surgeries from the United States. More than 1600 patients travelled to the U.S. to get the procedure despite the fact that it costs the province $10,000 more per patient than had it been performed in Canada. Ontario is spending $75 million to expand the province’s capacity to perform the surgeries to 1470 per year from 244. At least four new “bariatric centres of excellence” will be established. At present there is none between Toronto and Ottawa and in the north. Before patients can be accepted for OHIP coverage, they have to fail a three-month lifestyle intervention to reduce their weight. … Advocates for a single payer health care system in the United States are upset about what’s left of President Obama’s health plan after it passed the House and Senate. San Francisco nurse Eileen Prendiville writes in an international health workers e-newsletter: “people will be forced to purchase high-cost, low coverage policies. Those who don’t will be fined. The proposed industry regulations offer major loopholes and no means of enforcement. The legislation attacks women’s rights by prohibiting any government-subsidized programs for providing coverage for abortion services. And the Senate version taxes existing workplace medical benefits, affecting one in every four unionized workers.” The U.S. National Nurses United and Physicians for a National Health Program strongly condemned both bills, warning that they will worsen the healthcare crisis. Prendiville reports that health insurance companies stocks have soared once it became clear the public option was basically finished. Go to http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/301992/e9fd74c7e8/1750500119/0f48ea2925/.