Health funding

Re: “False Alarm On Heath Care,” Danielle Martin, letter to the editor, Aug. 19.

Dr. Danielle Martin, chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, writes that “user fees and privatization would increase health-care costs overall by downloading them from governments onto citizens.” Dr. Martin seems to believe governments are financed by Martians instead of taxpayers. Unfortunately, we must still be reminded medicare is not a magical cornucopia exempt from basic economic logic.

Michel Kelly-Gagnon is President and CEO of the Montreal Economic Institute.