Some of us have been given one of the greatest gifts in life, a good father. My own dad was an exceptional man who always put his family first. He offered unconditional love, no matter how much he disagreed with your life choices. He made his views clear then accepted your decision to follow your own path. While he was not overly ambitious in terms of financial wealth, he provided for his family in a middle class comfortable manner. This meant that you didn’t waste and that you conserved as much as possible, a good model for today’s environmentalists. His ambitions focused on his children, not that they be successful in any career, although that would be a bonus, but that they be successful as good human beings, caring for others and doing no harm. His greatest reward was that all his children met these expectations and that he knew this before he died. He set the bar high and his kids followed his example. We were lucky to have him.
In my last column I wrote about proposed legislation called the Animal Health Act (Bill 37) that would prevent any citizen or journalist from publicly identifying the location of an outbreak of agriculture-related disease such as the deadly bird flu and other disasters and would override the Freedom of Information Act. Well the good news is that on May 31, agriculture Minister Don McRae quietly withdrew his Bill 37 because of the enormous public outcry and because Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham wrote a highly critical letter calling McRae’s bill “extreme,” pointing out Bill 37 “would override the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act” saying “this is a matter of deep concern considering the importance of disease management” and tying it to salmon farming. Once again, we made a difference and our collective voices were heard.
As some of you might know I am on an extended stay in eastern Canada renewing family ties, doing some research, but mostly having fun and adventures. As part of my research I am finding it very interesting to observe the different provinces and how they administer health care. Looking at the differences in our health care in B.C. and in Ontario it is curious to note how they vary. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) is available to all Ontario residents who qualify without paying any premiums, while in B.C. everyone pays premiums according to their incomes, unless they qualify for government assistance. Physiotherapy services are available and free for seniors 65 and over in Ontario, services here are not free unless part of a medical procedure. Cataract Lens Exchange Surgeries coverage not only pays for any lens that the patient’s physician determines is medically necessary with no amount charged to the patient. In B.C. patients must pay additional costs if they require any special lens other than the hard standard lens provided under the Medical Services Plan even though their doctor recommends a more suitable lens. This can amount to many hundreds of dollars with no credit amount allowed for the standard lens. In Ontario if a person chooses an enhanced, but non prescribed, lens they receive a credit for the cost of the medically necessary lens. Something we have been asking for in B.C. for a while.
Examining these differences in basic provincial health care makes it more obvious that the federal government should be developing guidelines that every province must adhere to, guidelines that set out basic provisions of health care that should be available for all citizens, especially those elders on government benefits that put them below the poverty line.
Pat Black writes about seniors’ issues for The Morning Star, appearing every other Sunday.
