The following is a review of developments affecting health care in Canada

Dear Readers, The summer flew by and as promised here are this summer's news highlights. Our monthly revisions begin in September. Happy Reading and Best Regards, Shara Rosen

The government of British Columbia pays more than any province for lab tests, however in a major reorganization, the government hopes to save $60 million a year. In the meantime, the government is arbitrarily cutting payments for lab tests by 20% in two steps -- 8% on Sept. 1, 2003 and further 12% on April 1, 2003.

The Vancouver Coast Health Authority is planning to privatize thousands of day surgeries. The authority will ask for bids from private clinics on more than 200 outpatient procedures. The clinics would operate in unused hospital space or at off-site private facilities. B.C. Health Services Minister Colin Hansen says the proposal would not violate the Canada Health Act. The surgeries would still be publicly funded, no extra facility fees would be charged and the work would not draw necessary health-care staff away from public facilities.

Delegates to the National Diabetes Symposium have drafted the Draft Blueprint for Action for the National Diabetes Strategy. A key recommendation in the blueprint calls for continued backing of the National Diabetes Surveillance System, formed with funding provided in 1999. The funding expire in 2004. The blueprint also call on stakeholders to work to: double the current level of funding for diabetes research to $200 million per year by 2005; establish a task force to ensure access to primary care; create a national institute for diabetes education and expand the number of diabetes educators in Canada; identify mechanisms to ensure appropriate coverage of diabetes medicine and supplies; and develop a prevention program aimed at people at high risk for type 2 diabetes. The blueprint is available at www.diabetes.ca