This story is part of The situation is criticala series from CBC British Columbia that talks about the barriers people in this province face in getting the right health care at the right time.
Gary Schuster’s belief in public health care is so strong that in 2008 he worked on Barack Obama’s election campaign, attracted by the future president’s promise to deliver a more equitable, Canadian-like system to the American people.
The dual citizen born in Montreal, who grew up in California and is now the home of Vancouver, says Canada’s publicly funded model is superior to the for-profit health care system in the United States, which caters only to those who can afford it.
So, with mixed feelings earlier this week, Schuster placed an ad in the Vancouver Sun, offering $5,000 to anyone who could help him find a family doctor.
“I think it’s horrible to be able to do that and others can’t,” he said. “It’s unfair, and it’s not how the system was supposed to be built.”
Critics will be quick to point out that the cash reward undermines the very system it claims to support. But as someone with a rare metabolic disorder, Schuster said he had no other choice.
“I have young children, and if something happened to me, it would be a disaster for them,” said the father of three. “As a responsible parent, I must take steps to ensure that I stay healthy.”
The 55-year-old suffers from CPT2 deficiency, a disease that attacks muscles and can result from stress, anxiety, and infection, resulting in severe cramps, cognitive impairment, and muscle weakness.
As a precaution, Schuster carries an information card describing the illness and treatment if he becomes ill.
Regular monitoring by a physician familiar with CPT2 deficiency is important in controlling it, but earlier this month, Schuster’s family physician unexpectedly retired. Trying to find a replacement was frustrating.
“It’s almost impossible,” he said. “High-risk patients, like me, have a system that Vancouver Coastal Health runs where they’ll help you find a doctor. But wait times are about six months, and they usually don’t guarantee much,” he said.
One million Britons – nearly a quarter of the province’s population – don’t have a family doctor, and they, like Schuster, struggle to piece health care together.
Last week, Health Secretary Adrian Dix announced $118 million in interim funding to support and stabilize family physicians while work continues on a new fee structure designed to retain and attract more physicians into family practice.
British Columbia doctors, Ramnik Dosanjh, said Schuster’s dilemma shows the realistic consequences of the crisis in healthcare.
“No one should put an ad in the newspaper and [offer] Money and payment to have it taken at the family clinic. “It’s really sad,” she said.
“Every citizen, every British Columbian, and every patient should have equal rights and access to universal health care.”
As a dual citizen, Schuster considered buying private health insurance in the United States and finding a doctor in Washington State. He said he could afford the estimated $20,000 a year, but decided not to do so in part because travel was impractical.
In an ideal world, he would be able to find the same level of care he had in 2017 when he first moved to Vancouver.
“It was working,” he said. “I had a family doctor who could do whatever I needed and keep me healthy. But it’s just starting to fall apart, and I don’t understand why the wheels are out of the car,” he said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, two people had responded to his announcement. Both said they were not interested in the $5,000 bonus.
“I have a leader in a clinic in New Westminster who might work, which of course isn’t entirely downtown,” Schuster said in a text. “But as they say, any port is in a storm.”
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