Can you trust the Campbell government to manage over $14 billion in health spending when it can't answer a simple question on how many people are covered by the Medical Services Plan?

On December 20, 2006, I submitted a freedom of information request for an update to a table the Ministry of Finance produced in 2002 when it increased MSP premiums by 50%. It took until April to get a partial answer. The ministry provided a breakdown on the number of "contracts" or families by unit size 1, 2 or 3 (as requested) and by level of premium assistance, but it did not indicate the number of individuals covered. A subsequent request for those data was referred to the Ministry of Health. In a letter dated June 15, 2007, the Ministry of Health said it would require an extension to the time limit allowed for answering the request because it has to consult with another public body.

Being curious, I have submitted yet another freedom of information request, this time for the name of the public body that the ministry is consulting and any documents related to that consultation. I could fill a file cabinet with the stalls I've received over the past several years where ministries use Section 10(1)(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to extend the time limit for response because they need to consult with another public body. They never say what public body, but cynics suspect it is frequently the Public Affairs Bureau, government's propaganda and media control agency. I thought the least I can do is find out who they are consulting this time since the request was originally referred to the Ministry of Health by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance is responsible for the Public Affairs Bureau.

The data provided in April in response to my original request suggested that there are significant problems with MSP enrollment. It looks like there are more people on the rolls than the total population of the province. How big the problem is depends on what one assumes about family sizes in the tables produced by the ministry, but one wouldn't have to assume anything if the Ministry of Health would simply produce the enrollment numbers. My request also asked for documents that discuss the apparent problem the Ministry has with over-enrollment. Stay tuned for a response. The deadline has now shifted to July 30th.