AOHC Site Feed

Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario Report

Date:

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

#Recommendations and next steps:

AOHC has a mixed review for the report released last week by Frances Lankin and Munir Sheikh, heads of The Commission for the Review of Social Assistance, called Brighter Prospects: Transforming Social Assistance in Ontario.

AOHC supports a number of the report's 108 recommendations related to employment supports and social assistance rules and will be calling on the government to implement these recommendations immediately. We also support the Commission's recommendation to immediately increase the single adult Ontario Works (OW) rate by $100 a month.

However, AOHC opposes recommendations related to the "streamlining" of social assistance special benefits and eliminating of the Special Diet Allowance. A guiding principle must be that rate increases should not be offset by cuts to other benefits.

Still other of the report's recommendations require more careful analysis to ensure that people would actually be better off as a result of the proposed changes.

This briefing note provides an overview of key recommendations, our response, as well as follow-up actions you can take to ensure the provincial government takes appropriate follow-up action. Despite concerns about some of the report's recommendations, it must not sit on the shelf. It's been over 20 years since the government reviewed Social Assistance and the worst thing that could happen is nothing at all.

#Recommendations that AOHC supports

Rates:

Immediate rate increase of $100/month recommended for single adults on OW as a down payment on adequacy while the system undergoes transformation (current rate is $599/month).

We support this recommendation. But it should not be funded partly through the elimination of Special Diet Allowance. (see below)

#Employment Supports:

Strengthened supports that enable people on social assistance to be employed and access Employment Ontario training programs.
Strengthened employment supports for people with disabilities.
Municipalities would become full partners with the Province in managing and planning employment services in their communities, with more municipalities designated by the Province as Employment Ontario deliverers.

If implemented effectively these changes should help support people transition off social assistance and into the workforce.

Increase the assets that people are allowed to keep before accessing OW to the higher level allowed now for ODSP clients (ie. $6,000 for singles, and $7,500 for couples).
Increase earnings exemptions allowing people to keep $200 of earned income before the 50% clawback kicks in.
Allow parents to keep 50% of their child support, and not require sole support parents to seek child support.

The recommendations will increase social assistance incomes; the Ontario government should implement them immediately.

Examine ways to make prescription drugs, dental and other health benefits available to all low income Ontarians.

#First Nations:

Recognizing that First Nations have unique needs and priorities, the report recommends First Nations have flexibility to define employment-related activities for social assistance clients in their communities. It also calls for tripartite discussions to explore a greater role for First Nations to design and manage social assistance in their communities.

#Recommendations AOHC does not support

#Rates:

As part of a new simplified rate structure an estimated 30 social assistance benefits would be "streamlined". This would include elimination of the Special Diet Allowance.

Rate increases should not be funded through cuts to other benefits and so we are concerned about the proposal to streamline 30 benefits. In particular we do not support cutting the Special Diet Allowance. This will undermine people's health. We seek assurance the proposed changes will leave people better off with incomes, indexed to inflation, that meet the real costs of living.

#Recommendations that require further analysis and consultation:

#Calculation of Rates:

The commission recommends the rate structure be simplified so there is one standard rate for all adults. People with disabilities would receive a disability supplement; families with children and sole-support parents would also receive a supplement.
Going forward the commission recommends the government set criteria and a methodology for setting social assistance rates. The commissioners propose that the government develop a new "Basic Measure of Adequacy" based on the costs of food, clothing and footwear, basic personal and household needs, transportation and shelter in different Ontario regions. The commission recommends that rates then be calculated in a way that achieves balance between three objectives: the new Basic Measure of Adequacy; fairness between social assistance clients and low wage workers; and financial incentives for social assistance clients to seek employment.

AOHC believes these recommendations require more study because it is unclear whether the methodology the Commission proposes will actually lead to people on social assistance being better off.

#Program Delivery:

The Commission has recommended that Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) be integrated into one program that provides income and services to all social assistance recipients. The new program would be delivered by municipalities and First Nations.
A Provincial Commissioner of Social Assistance would be appointed to work with municipalities, First Nations and other stakeholders to establish performance measures, and track progress with annual reports.

AOHC believes the recommendation to integrate OW and ODSP into one program requires further analysis and consultation with those who would be affected. For example, the ODSP Action Coalition has expressed concern that people with disabilities could be negatively affected by these changes. Bringing in a Commissioner of Social Assistance and setting performance measures for program delivery agents should ensure greater accountability in the system.

More on the Social Assistance Review Commission and its report.

Raising the Minimum Wage: An upstream policy to help promote health and wellbeing

Date:

Thursday, October 17, 2013

The Ontario government has set up an Advisory Panel to recommend approaches for determining future increases to the minimum wage. The Panel will report back to government in January 2014.

#Submission from the Association of Ontario Health Centres to the Advisory Panel on the Minimum Wage -October 2013

The Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) is the voice of community-governed primary health care in Ontario. We are pleased to provide input to the Advisory Panel on the Minimum Wage which will be making recommendations to the Ontario government on approaches for determining future adjustments to the minimum wage.

AOHC’s vision is the best possible health and wellbeing for everyone living in Ontario. We know that reducing and eradicating poverty is essential to achieve this vision. A strong minimum wage policy which ensures that people working full time at minimum wage do not live in poverty is imperative tomove toward the goal of a poverty free Ontario.

#Minimum Wage Facts

Full time work at Ontario’s minimum wage $10.25/hour earns a single person $18,655 before taxes.[1]
Under Ontario’s measure of poverty, the Low Income Measure, a person is considered living in poverty with an annual income before taxes of less than $23,105.
The latest data indicates that 9% of Ontario employees earned minimum wage in 2011. [2] This number has increased from 4.3% in 2003.
Almost 40% of employees earning minimum wage were aged 25 and older.
Women, racialized workers, and recent immigrants are more likely to be working at minimum wage.
Almost one million employees in Ontario are in low wage work earning between $10.25-$14.25/hour.

AOHC members include 123 community-governed primary health care providers across the province: Community Health Centres (CHC), Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHAC), Community Family Health Teams (CFHT), and Nurse Practitioner-led Clinics (NPLC). They have a special mandate to serve people with barriers accessing health services, including low income people, Aboriginal People, people with disabilities, newcomers, people who are LGBT, Francophones and people in rural or remote communities.

Many reports have documented the fact that low income people are at higher risk of poor health. The Canadian Medical Association concludes in a recent report that the biggest barrier to good health is poverty. [3] The 2012 Drummond Commission report noted that more than 50% of population health outcomes are determined by socio-economic factors such as income, working conditions and education. [4]

More specifically, research has found that people whose incomes are below the poverty line experience increased rates of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, migraines and bronchitis, compared to people with decent incomes. [5] A recent report from the Wellesley Institute, Rising Inequality, Declining Health, notes a widening gap between the health of the working poor and those whose work provides sufficient income. It concludes that worsening labour market conditions, a weakened social safety net in Ontario, and increasing income inequality are accompanied by growing inequities in health. [6]

Poverty and income inequality lead to higher health care costs. A recent report from the Health Council of Canada refers to the finding that an estimated 20% of the $200 billion spend on health care annually in Canada can be attributed to income disparities. A Saskatoon study found that low –income residents consume 35% more health care resources than middle and high-income residents. If these residents earned enough to move into the middle income bracket they would save $179million in health care expenditures. [7] Clearly raising the minimum wage and other policies that increase the incomes of low income people would lead both to improved health outcomes and savings to the health care system.

The feedback we receive from Community Health Centres and Aboriginal Health Access Centres confirms the findings of these studies. Many of the people served by AOHC member Centres are living on low incomes, either from social assistance, low wage work or pensions. Our members see firsthand how low wages affect the physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing of people. They also see how lack of access to nutritious food because of low wages and social assistance rates contributes to poor health. Low wage and precarious work does not usually provide workers with drug, dental and vision benefits. [8] Health providers in our member Centres know the impact on people’s health and wellbeing when they cannot afford their prescription medication and dental care.

Community Health Centres and Aboriginal Health Access Centres are the only primary health care providers in Ontario which focus on the social determinants of health. Our members provide both primary health care services and a wide range of health promotion and community development services. Examples include: Pathways to Education, pre and post-natal nutrition programs, community gardens and community kitchens, and programs that support improved employment and housing.

Our work has taught us that governments need to move to an upstream approach and make strategic policy decisions that will improve health and wellbeing today to prevent spending on sickness care and rehabilitation in the future. Increasing Ontario’s minimum wage on an annual basis to ensure that minimum wage workers are not living in poverty represents an example of an upstream approach to address the social determinants of health.

#Recommendations:

The Association of Ontario Health Centres believes that all Ontarians deserve secure and livable incomes that enable them to live in dignity with good health and wellbeing. Paid employment in Ontario should ensure that people are not living in poverty.

We offer the following recommendations to the Advisory Panel on the Minimum Wage:

As an anti-poverty measure the minimum wage is an integral element of Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. It should be set at a level which ensures that paid work is an effective pathway out of poverty. Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy uses the Low Income Measure (LIM). Ontario’s minimum wage should be set so that earnings from full-time, full-year work at the minimum wage provide a level of income above the LIM for a single adult.
In reviewing and setting the minimum wage, the Ontario government should consider the impact of minimum wage increases on the rate and depth of poverty.
It should consider the extent to which the minimum wage has a “trickle up” impact and
helps to raise the level of earnings in low wage sectors.
Ontario should establish a process to set the minimum wage which takes decisions out of the political arena.
Ontario’s minimum wage should be adjusted annually to at least keep pace with changes in the Consumer Price Index. This follows the lead of other provinces and territories including Nova Scotia, Yukon, and Alberta.
Every two or three years, the minimum wage should be adjusted to a level which ensures that full-time minimum wage work provides an income above the Low Income Measure.

#

Contact:

Jacquie Maund, Policy and Government Relations Lead

Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC)

Tel: 416.236.2539 x 234

Email: jacquie@aohc.org

Sources and Notes:

[1] LIM is 50% of median income. The figure is established annually with a 2 year time lag. In 2013

the LIN is $23,105 based on Before Tax Low Income Measure for 1 person household calculated from the 2010 LIM, plus 2% annual adjustment for CPI.

[2] http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/publication/who-is-working-for-minimum-wage-in-ontario/

[3] http://www.cma.ca/multimedia/CMA/Content_Images/Inside_cma/Advocacy/HCT/What-makes- us-sick_en.pdf

[4]http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/reformcommission/

[5] http://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/reports/sick-and-tired-report-released/

[6] http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/publication/rising-inequality-declining-health/

[7] http://www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/rpt_det.php?id=162 p.7

[8]Lewchuk, Wayne et al. Working without Commitments: The Health Effects of Precarious Employment. 2011

AOHC's work on oral health featured in Toronto Star editorial

Date:

Monday, April 1, 2013

Access to affordable oral health care is a priority issue for AOHC. We've been doing behind the scenes advocacy work over the past year with MOHLTC, and public advocacy with the Ontario Oral Health Alliance. On April 1st, the Toronto Star ran an editorial showcasing this work.

Read Toronto Star editorial

Help us keep this story alive. Does your centre/team see first hand the challenges that low income people have accessing oral health care? Do your health practitioners have examples of the impact that poor oral health has on overall health and ability to work/participate in the community?

Here are 2 actions to take:

Take 2 minutes to send a short letter to the editor of your local paper
If you have a communications staff person, ask them to tweet a few comments on oral heath using hashtags #onpoli and #Ondental.

CHC and AHAC Oral Health Data Collection Report

Date:

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Read the results of AOHC’s 2013 oral health survey in this report by Nancy LaPlante.

Highlights of the report:

21 Centres responded that they offer oral health services. 14 of these have a monthly shortfall in funding.
Availability of oral health services ranges from once/month - 6 days/week.
Data collection is limited and inconsistent between Centres. About 50% of respondents were dissatisfied with their access to oral health data, and the quality and amount of data.
Given that funding decisions are driven by data and health outcomes, there’s a need to improve data quality, reliability, access and consistency among oral health service providers.

The report was presented to PMC which decided to begin this work by conducting over the next year some case studies of a few CHCs . We want to identify best practices on data management in order to measure treatment and health outcomes, and share the findings.

AOHC & OOHA reveal inappropriate use of hospital ER for dental issues

Date:

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

AOHC research has found that across Ontario in 2012 there were almost 58,000 visits to hospital Emergency Rooms for oral health problems (Ministry of Health & Long Term Care IntelliHEALTH ONTARIO)

Many people are using costly acute care ER for dental problems because they cannot afford dental treatment. But at the ER they can only get pain killers, not treatment to solve the problem. So many will return to ER.

This is a costly and inappropriate use of hospital ER. At a minimum cost of $513/visit (St. Michael’s Hospital ER Dept), the total estimated cost for dental visits to ER in Ontario was at least $30million in 2012.

The Ontario government set up Health Links in 2012 with one goal being to reduce avoidable ER visits. Dental visits to ER are avoidable – we need government action to make this happen.

Tell your MPP and local media: If low income people could get their oral health needs met at affordable community-based clinics they would not be clogging up their local ER .

The Ontario government should re-direct the $30million (minimum estimate) spent on acute care for oral health in ERs to a public dental program for low income adults.

Read the related Toronto Start article: Ontario ERs ill equipped to handle dental problems

AOHC members and partners from the Ontario Oral Health Alliance are meeting with MPPs with further evidence of the need for government investment in preventative oral health programs for low income adults. For a lobby kit contact jacquie@aohc.org

Supervised Injection Services: Improving Community Health Outcomes

Date:

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Media Advisory
#A case for public health and safety
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUPERVISED INJECTION SERVICES: IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH OUTCOMESTORONTO (Thursday, July 4) - Supervised Injection Services (SIS) aim to improve the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs by offering them safer and more hygienic alternatives. Implementing these sites were one of two recommendations made by Toronto's Medical Officer of Health David McKeown in a report issued on Tuesday that asks Toronto to urge the Ontario government to fund Supervised Injection Services on a pilot basis.The report, to be discussed at a July 10 meeting of the Toronto Board of Health, also recommends incorporating Supervised Injection Sites into primary care centres, such as Community Health Centres (CHCs), which already service these clients."What Toronto Public Health is doing on July 10, 2013 is an important reminder of the lessons of the 2011 Supreme Court's ruling, a reminder that governments, and indeed all public health units, have a duty to act in ways that enhance the health of individuals and their communities - even when doing so is politically unpalatable," said David Gibson, Executive Director, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre.The second recommendation was to withdraw Bill C-65 that was introduced in June. The Bill, called the Respect for Communities Act, stipulates a set of unreasonable conditions that would need to be met in order to introduce SIS into a community. These conditions include measures that present health barriers. The Association of Ontario Health Centres supports the recommendations of Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, David McKeown and appeals to the City of Toronto to register its opposition to the federal government's Bill C-65. "Denying people who use drugs access to supervised injection facilities not only stands against the Charter of Rights but it also reinforces health barriers," said Adrianna Tetley, Executive Director of AOHC. "Passing Bill C-65 would be regressive legislation. Researchhas already proven that supervised safe-injection sites have an important role; they work to reduce overdose deaths and to improve the overall health and safety of our communities."Safe Injection Services have been shown to be an effective strategy to reduce harms associated with drug use.AboutThe Association of Ontario Health Centres aims for the best possible health and wellbeing for everyone living in Ontario. AOHC looks towards a future without systemic barriers that prevent people from reaching their full health potential, where everyone can make the choices that allow them to live a fulfilling life. A future in which individuals, families and communities are served by, and are able to actively participate in, trusted healthcare systems that respond to people's and communities' needs in coordinated and comprehensive ways.		CONTACT:Association of Ontario Health Centres:Sofia Ramirezsofia@aohc.org647.278.7926Sandy Hill Community Health Centre:David Gibson,Executive Directordgibson@sandyhillchc.on.ca613.789.1500WHERE/WHEN:Toronto City HallJuly 10, 2013, 1pmCommittee Room 2 Toronto City HallMeeting 23 of the Toronto Board of Health Topic:Supervised Injection Services in Toronto (Ward All) RELATED LINKSMedical Officer of Health Report Bill C-65, "The Respect for Communities Act"Supreme Court of Canada 2011 Ruling Reduction in overdose mortality after first medically supervised safer injection facility: a retrospective population-based study

De nouveaux investissements dans les Centres d'accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones aux soins de santé donneront d’excellents rendements

Date:

Sunday, June 30, 2013

TORONTO, le 3 avril 2013 – L’annonce faite aujourd’hui par le gouvernement provincial concernant de nouveaux investissements dans 17 projets d’immobilisations dans des Centres de santé communautaire (CSC) et des Centres d'accès aux services de santé pour les Autochtones (CASSA) en Ontario signifie que des milliers de personnes de plus auront accès à des modèles de soins primaires qui ont un effet sur la santé de la population, réduisent les disparités en santé et atténuent les pressions qui pèsent sur le reste de notre système de santé.

« Les CSC et les CASSA gardent les gens – et les collectivités où ils vivent – en santé et forts », a affirmé Adrianna Tetley, la directrice générale de l’Association des centres de santé de l’Ontario qui représente 105 organismes de soins de santé gérés par la communauté dans l’ensemble de la province. « Les investissements faits aujourd’hui produiront un excellent rendement demain, ce qui évitera de dépenser de plus grosses sommes d’argent pour le traitement et les soins des maladies. »

Madame Tetley a également fait remarquer que, comme les CSC et les CASSA ciblent les populations dont la santé est le plus à risque, « c’est également un investissement dans une société plus juste, conformément à la promesse de la première ministre Wynne ».

Adrianna Tetley prononçait une allocution lors d’un événement organisé au carrefour de Jamestown, un satellite du CSC de Rexdale, un des 13 établissements de CSC qui auront dorénavant les fonds nécessaires pour améliorer et agrandir leurs installations. D’autres annonces de projets d’immobilisations sont faites aujourd’hui au CSC de Niagara Falls et au CSC Quest à St. Catherines.

Les CSC se distinguent des autres modèles de soins primaires parce qu’ils réunissent sous un même toit services médicaux et services de promotion de la santé et de développement communautaire. Et comme ils axent leur activité sur les déterminants sociaux de la santé, les CSC sont particulièrement efficaces pour servir des populations qui ont traditionnellement fait face à des obstacles dans l’accès aux services de santé.

L’ACSO accueille également avec plaisir l’annonce faite aujourd’hui par le gouvernement concernant l’investissement dans l’amélioration et l’agrandissement des installations de quatre CASSA ontariens. Les CASSA offrent un alliage de guérison traditionnelle, de soins de santé primaire, de programmes culturels, de programmes de promotion de la santé, d’initiatives de développement culturel et de services de soutien social aux communautés des Premières Nations, des Métis et des Inuits.

« Les CSC comme les CASSA peuvent jouer un rôle important et positif en permettant au nouveau Plan d’action de la province de faire de l’Ontario l’endroit le plus sain dans le monde pour grandir et vieillir », a conclu madame Tetley. Nous espérons que ce n’est que le début d’une série de mesures visant à accroître l’accès aux modèles gérés par la communauté qui font un si bon travail de promotion de la santé et du mieux-être pour tous. »

Pour plus d’information sur les CSC, veuillez cliquer ici.

Source : Sofia Ramirez, 647-278-7926.

www.aohc.org ou suivez-nous sur Twitter @AOHC _ACSO

Test News

Date:

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

An example of an external link:

www.cbc.ca

New investments in 17 capital projects for Ontario’s CHC's and AHACs

Date:

Sunday, June 30, 2013

#New investments in Community Health Centres and Aboriginal Health Access Centres will yield high returns.

TORONTO – April 3, 2013 - Today’s announcement from the provincial government, that it is making new investments in 17 capital projects for Ontario’s Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHACs), means thousands more people will have access to a primary health care models that improve health, reduce health disparities and ease the pressures on the rest of the our health system. “CHCs and AHACs keep people –and the communities where they live– healthy and strong,” said Adrianna Tetley, Executive Director of Association of Ontario Health Centres which represents 105 community-governed primary health care organizations throughout the province. “The investment being made today will yield a very high return tomorrow, preventing larger amounts of money being spent on sickness treatment and care.” Tetley also noted that because CHCs and AHACs focus on populations whose health is most at risk: “This is also an investment in the fairer society Premier Wynne has promised us.” Tetley was speaking at an event at the Jamestown Hub, a satellite of the Rexdale CHC, one of 13 CHCs sites that now have the capital dollars to upgrade and expand their facilities. Other announcements of capital projects are happening today at Niagara Falls CHC and Quest CHC in St. Catharines. CHC stand out from other models of primary care because medical services are delivered under the same roof as health promotion and community development services. And because they address the social determinant of health, they are especially effective serving populations which have traditionally faced barriers accessing health services. AOHC also applauded the government announcement today that it will invest in upgrading and expanding facilities at four AHACs throughout the province. AHACs provide a combination of traditional healing, primary care, cultural programs, health promotion programs, community development initiatives, and social support services to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. “Both AHACs and CHCs can play a huge role in enabling the province’s new action plan to make Ontario the healthiest place to grow up and grow old,” said Tetley. “We hope this is just the beginning of a series of steps to expand access to community-governed models that do such a good job promoting the best possible health and wellbeing for everyone.” For more information on CHCs click here. Centres announced as of May 22, 2013 Rexdale CHC - Jamestown satellite Belleville Quinte West CHC - Trenton satellite CSC Chigamik CHC City of Kawartha Lakes CHC Gateway CHC Gizhewaadiziwin AHAC Niagara Falls CHC Noojmowin Teg AHAC Norwest CHC Quest CHC Rexdale CHC - Kipling Dixon satellite Sault Area Hospital Residential Withdrawal Management Services South Georgian Bay CHC South Riverdale CHC Southwest Ontario AHAC Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe'lyewigamig AHAC Woodstock and Area CHC

A year at the frontline of cuts to refugee health

Date:

Sunday, June 30, 2013

On this National Day of Action for Refugee Health, the Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) appeals to the Federal Government to reinstate the refugee healthcare coverage provided by the Interim Federal Health program.

AOHC stands along with Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care, Health for All and other concerned organizations and Canadians calling on the government to stop the cuts to refugee health. The Association represents Ontario’s 75 Community Health Centres (CHCs), who are the only primary health care providers funded by the provincial government to serve uninsured people living Ontario. Refugees come for a variety of issues, including screenings, tests, immunizations, prescriptions, referrals, settlement issues, health advice and a high percentage of patients come for pregnancy related issues, pain and respiratory concerns. Frontline providers in CHC’s report that the removal of the Interim Federal Health program has had a very serious impact. Community Health Centres are seeing increasing numbers of refugees with intensified pressure to address the health care services no longer covered by the federal government. “The cuts to refugee health have had a devastating effect,” says Dr. Michael C. Stephenson, a General Practitioner with Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services.

“These are people who are in Canada legally, and are escaping persecution, torture and trauma. I have personally heard from many refugees who were denied health care in emergency situations. This is unacceptable and fundamentally un-Canadian.” The lack of coverage adds to the other challenges refugees face, such as lack of adequate housing, economic insecurity and the psychological problems caused by displacement from their home country. “The unique circumstance of the refugee experience creates special health care considerations,” says Adrianna Tetley, Executive Director, AOHC. “Denying health coverage could lead to potentially dangerous health outcomes, increased long term costs, and also contradicts the commitment to humanitarianism understood by welcoming refugees in the first place. The changes are irresponsible. Cuts to life-sustaining medication and treatment can never be justified.” AOHC calls on the federal government to stop the cuts to refugee health coverage. Preventative healthcare is both more humane and more economical than remedial healthcare. Until the federal government reinstates the program, AOHC urges the provincial government to fill gap and ensure funding for refugee health services.

#Refugee Case Studies: Who have we been seeing

A man with known coronary artery disease who needed an urgent angiogram but couldn’t afford to pay for the procedure.

A pregnant woman who was denied care at a Toronto based hospital. They wanted her to put down a deposit of $1700 before they would see her. She couldn't afford it. The IFH would have covered her visits.

A 5 year old child who was denied care at a walk-in clinic when she had a prolonged high fever. The parents were told to pay. IFH would have covered her visit.

A man who was shot in his country of origin days before he left. He couldn't get follow up care by a specialist for 6 weeks after arrival because Canadian Immigration Canada wouldn't issue him Interim Federal Health coverage.

#About

The Association of Ontario Health Centres aims for the best possible health and well-being for everyone living in Ontario. AOHC looks towards a future without systemic barriers that prevent people from reaching their full health potential, where everyone can make the choices that allow them to live a fulfilling life. A future in which individuals, families and communities are served by, and are able to actively participate in, trusted healthcare systems that respond to people's and communities' needs in coordinated and comprehensive ways.

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Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario Report

#Recommendations and next steps: