The Canadian Press
Toronto's board of health is calling on the province to give landed immigrants health coverage as soon as they arrive.Currently, there is a three-month waiting period before newly arrived landed immigrants can get coverage under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.The board says eliminating the waiting period would allow timely diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases.
Toronto health officials say they see about 300 cases of tuberculosis a year, many of them in individuals who come from countries where the illness is widespread.The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care notes that since 2004, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is available to all people in the province, regardless of medical insurance coverage.
The ministry says others exempted from the three-month waiting period include newborns born in Ontario, certain adopted children under 16 and some refugees. New Brunswick recently eliminated its waiting period, leaving Ontario and B.C. as the only provinces that have a comprehensive waiting period for newly arrived landed immigrants.Quebec recently introduced a waiting period, but has a number of exemptions, including the diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases.
"Newcomers to Ontario who have already spent time and money securing landed immigrant status should not have to wait three months for OHIP — especially when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases," said Dr. David McKeown, medical officer of health for Toronto."Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial," McKeown said Wednesday. "We know that newcomers without coverage are hesitant to see a doctor, which puts their health and the health of others at risk."
Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal attract the most immigrants to Canada every year, according to Statistics Canada.
Toronto's board of health is calling on the province to give landed immigrants health coverage as soon as they arrive.Currently, there is a three-month waiting period before newly arrived landed immigrants can get coverage under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.The board says eliminating the waiting period would allow timely diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases.
Toronto health officials say they see about 300 cases of tuberculosis a year, many of them in individuals who come from countries where the illness is widespread.The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care notes that since 2004, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is available to all people in the province, regardless of medical insurance coverage.
The ministry says others exempted from the three-month waiting period include newborns born in Ontario, certain adopted children under 16 and some refugees. New Brunswick recently eliminated its waiting period, leaving Ontario and B.C. as the only provinces that have a comprehensive waiting period for newly arrived landed immigrants.Quebec recently introduced a waiting period, but has a number of exemptions, including the diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases.
"Newcomers to Ontario who have already spent time and money securing landed immigrant status should not have to wait three months for OHIP — especially when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases," said Dr. David McKeown, medical officer of health for Toronto."Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial," McKeown said Wednesday. "We know that newcomers without coverage are hesitant to see a doctor, which puts their health and the health of others at risk."
Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal attract the most immigrants to Canada every year, according to Statistics Canada.
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