Private health care dominates meeting as general council calls for national debate on issue.

The CMA's General Council has decided to withhold its stamp of approval for a "private parallel" health care system by voting against a motion to remove legislative barriers to private insurance. However, General Council did call on the CMA to take the issue directly to Canadians and conduct a national debate. General Council did pass a "Blueprint for Action"--16 resolutions spelling out the CMA's views on ways to protect Canada's medicare system.