Organization files court challenge against province’s decision to cut out-of-country medical coverage
Published January 3, 2020 at 8:26 pm
Not long after the announcement that the government would be changing OHIP’s out-of-country health coverage, a legal challenge has been filed against the Province.
The Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA), a non-profit organization dedicated to defending the rights and privileges of Canadian travellers, believes this sets a dangerous precedent, as Ontario is the only province in the country to fully cut all emergency medical coverage for residents travelling abroad.
“We are filing this legal challenge on behalf of our members, and all Ontario travellers, in order to protect their right to out-of-country emergency medical care which is enshrined in the Canada Health Act (CHA),” Karen Huestis, president of CSA, said in a news release.
“These cuts are an egregious violation of the portability requirement of the CHA and must be addressed head-on,” she continued.
Additionally, according to the release: “Under the CHA, residents who are temporarily absent from their home province or territory or from Canada, must continue to be covered for insured health services during their absence.
“If insured persons are temporarily absent in another province or territory, the portability criterion requires that insured services be paid at the host province’s rate. If insured persons are temporarily out of the country, insured services are to be paid at the home province’s rate,” it reads.
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