The recent exposure of a "prominent leader" of the Calgary Health Region (CHR) using their connections to try and get a family member a speedier psychiatric assessment was a bit of surprise to those who don't understand Alberta's health care system.

While there are no reports or data from StatsCan or CIHI (Canadian Institute for Health Information) indicating how often personal connections are used to queue jump, it's not an uncommon practice. Many who work or know people who work in the health field can relate stories of those who have queue jumped thanks to their personal connections.

In fact, this writer recently heard the story of a gentleman who, when faced with a lengthy wait for knee surgery, used a family connection to get in for surgery in a fraction of the time. Another story involved a woman bypassing the referral process from her family doctor to get into see a specialist, because her daughter worked with that specialist.

These anecdotal stories are not rare, in fact Dr. Chris Levy, an adjunct professor of medicine told the Calgary Herald that "people with connections to the health system may use their influence to queue jump more than the public realizes."

Even the Friends of Medicare acknowledge this is not an uncommon occurrence. They too told the Herald: "people with connections to the health system may receive special treatment more often than members of the public realize."

Dr. Brian Day, head of the Canadian Medical Association freely admits to queue jumping, claiming that he made a phone call to get his daughter a CT scan a week ahead of schedule. He also claims to have called up a friend who is a surgeon to get his knee surgery done within a week, surpassing the surgeon's waitlist.

The type of queue jumping that goes on in Canada's health care system is all about personal connections to the doctors, about knowing someone who knows someone who can get you in ahead of those who are currently waiting.

It's two-tiered medicine.

Regardless of the attention the CHR is now getting as a result of the rejected queue jumping request, this form of two-tiered health care is likely to continue. As Dr. Day correctly points out, it's unrealistic "to expect people not to use their connections to jump the queue when their own or their family's health is at stake."

Those opposed to private health care alternatives in Canada, like the Friends of Medicare, claim it would create a two-tiered system. Yet, ironically, they admit we already have a two-tiered system.

The difference is that under the current system, personal connections are the currency of queue jumping, whereas under a formal parallel private health care system, cash is the currency.

Which one is fairer to Canadians

Wouldn't Canadians be better off to have the freedom to plunk down their own after-tax dollars to receive a health care procedure than to be forced onto a mandatory waitlist, the only reprieve from which is an "inside connection "

At least then everyone would know what's required to receive the treatment in a timely, even-handed and transparent manner. As it stands right now only those who have access to a backroom favour, reminiscent of Soviet-era politics, can ensure timely access.

The fact that some Albertans think the current system is somehow "universal" or "fair" is the only surprising aspect of this story.