Changes to legislation long overdue
Dear Editor,
In 2010 at the young age of 55, I suffered a major stroke at no fault of my own. After receiving great initial hospital care and short-term physiotherapy of seven weeks, I was discharged home. Once home, I requested additional OHIP funded physiotherapy to try to regain basic human function. I was denied the requested physiotherapy because I was 55. I was informed that I would have to wait 10 more years until age 65 before being eligible for more OHIP-funded physiotherapy. After some research, I learned that post-stroke survivors between ages 20 and 64 do not qualify for more OHIP-funded physiotherapy based upon age discriminatory healthcare policies and an out-dated OHIP Act. I am no longer working as a professional engineer while on long-term disability. I made the Ontario Government aware of my discovery of age discrimination and former Premier Dalton McGuinty and former Ontario Health Minister Deb Mathews decided to ignore me and my discovery. I tried to convince the Liberal Government to amend the OHIP Act and I was simply shunned by our provincial senior Ontario Ministry of Health Officials. Now at age 61. I have not recovered basic human function. I partially blame Dalton McGuinty, Deb Mathews, Premier Wynne and current Health Minister Hoskins for me being in a wheelchair today at age 61.
On April 2, 2015, an opposition-approved motion was secured at Queen’s Park with all party support, calling upon the Wynne government to amend healthcare policies to provide OHIP funded physiotherapy to our post-stroke survivors between ages 20 and 64. After April 2, 2015, this approved motion went missing at Queens Park. After numerous failed attempts in 2015 and 2016 to convince the Wynne government to respect and take action on this approved motion, I contacted Lorne Coe, MPP, Whitby-Oshawa and requested help.
In response Mr. Coe prepared a private member’s bill and, in mid-September 2016, he gave first reading of Bill 9, an Act to End Age Discrimination Against Stroke Patients 2016. Bill 9 easily passed Second Reading on Sept 29 and the bill was forwarded to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Members Bills for further review and debate. The standing committee thoroughly debated the bill on Nov. 28 and made several amendments. The most significant amendment was the renaming of the bill to Bill 9, Improving Post-Stroke Physiotherapy for All Act 2016. Again, with all party support, the amended Bill 9 was sent back to the legislature for a third and final reading. All sitting MPPs unanimously approved Bill 9 on Dec. 5.
Bill 9 was signed into law on Dec. 8. Bill 9 essentially states that post-stroke survivors, regardless of agem are entitled to OHIP funded and evidence-based treatment and/or physiotherapy as recommended by the patient’s medical physician. Our young adult stroke survivors will now be given an opportunity to recover to their best potential and possibly return to work or continue with their post-secondary studies. We are now waiting for the Wynne Government to implement Bill 9. As of the writing of this letter on Dec. 30, 2016, Ontario Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins is violating Ontario law by not immediately implementing the provisions of Bill 9.
I am extremely grateful to PC MPP Lorne Coe and his staff for taking a sincere interest in this subject and for guiding Bill 9 through the legislative process to such a successful outcome. These changes to the OHIP Act will benefit all Ontarians.
I hope that Ontario’s adults between ages 20 and 64 will recall the above course of events before entering the voting stations in the 2018 Ontario election. We cannot tolerate a majority Liberal government who buries approved motions at Queen’s Park. Provincial politicians, including Premier Wynne, must not be rewarded for bad behaviour. There is something seriously wrong with the Wynne government when it takes an opposition private member’s bill to eliminate age discrimination against the young adults of Ontario. Just my experienced opinion.
Jim McEwen