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Terrace Bay - Schre' her Vol. 44. No. 1 , SERVING TERRACE BAY, SCHREIBER, ROSSPORT & JACKFISH LAKE January 3, 198870 Elimination of OHIP premiums Greatly improves access to all Provinciual Residents Provincial Treasurer Robert Nixon announced in his May 1989 budget that health care pre- mium revenue will be replaced by the Employer Health Tax on Jan. 1, 1990. During the. transition to the Employer Health Tax, all Ontario residents will be covered for the health services they need. All OHIP subscribers are expected to make their premium payments up to Dec. 31, 1989. All existing Ontario health insurance numbers remain unchanged, and subscribers should continue to use their cur- rent identification. As long as they remain residents of Ontario, their coverage will remain valid and premium free aftcr Dec. 31. Subscribers should contact their nearest Ministry of Health office directly if there is a change in their family status or address. For further information con- cerning health insurance call: Maurice Jones, Toronto Communications Information Branch Ministry of Health Phone: (416) 965-5167 _and For further information con- cerning tax policy call: Steve Orsini, Toronto Ministry of Treasury Phone (416) 965-8495 For further information con- cerning revenue collection call: Jim Evans, Oshawa Ministry of Revenue Phone: (416) 436-4525 Question and Answers Q: When will premium pay- ments end? A: On Dec. 31, 1989. Q: Will my Health Coverage continue after Dec. 31? A: Yes. Q. What happens when I go to the Doctor or the Hospital? A: If you are a resident of Ontario, you will have the same access to the health care system after the elimination of premiums as you did during the time when premiums were collected. Q: Why is the premium sys- tem being changed? A: The Government of Ontario and committees such as the Social Assistance Review Committce have all recommend- cd that the premium system be abolished. The Social Assistance Review Committee believed that the elim- ination of premiums was essential and would greatly improve access to health care for many low- income people. Premiums are a regressive form of taxation that hurts the poor, even though excellent assis- tance programs for help in paying premiums were available. Historically, the funding for health care has been shared by people and business. Each real- izcs bencfits from Ontario's uni- versal health care system. The introduction of the Employer Health Tax will ensure that all employers contribute a share of the financing of health care. This is a more reasonable approach than the current patchwork that has many employers paying all premiums for their employees, and others contributing nothing at all. Q: How will I be covered if I'm uncmployed? A: After me "end= oc December, all Ontario residents, whether unemployed, employed, self-employed or retired, are celi- gible for coverage. The sole crite- rion for cligibility will be residen- cy -- you must ordinarily be pre- sent in Ontario, entitled to remain in Canada, and make your home in Ontario. Q: I live in Ontario, but work in Detroit (Hull). How am I cov- ered? A: Health insurance coverage is based on residency in Ontario and not on the place of employ- ment. As long as you remain a resident of Ontario, you will con- tinue to be eligible for insured health services. Q: I live in Detroit (Hull), but work in Windsor (Ottawa). Will I be covered? A: If you are not a resident, you arc not cligible. Q: What about Canadians moving to Ontario from other provinces? When will they be covered? A: Coverage will commence from the date their coverage under their previous provincial plan expires. If their date of arrival in Ontario is prior to Jan. 1, 1990, they will be required to iuake premium payments. Since premiums now paid by an employer are added to an employee's T-4 slip as a taxable benefit, will the employec no longer have to pay income tax on the amount of that benefit? A: The Employer Health Tax is not a taxable benefit; as of 1990 the employee will not be required to pay income tax on that amount. Q: Will the new system affect those over 65? A: The elimination of premi- ums means that persons turning 65 will no-longer have to apply for exemption from premiums. However, they must still register at 65 for the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan. Q: How will the new system affect company benefit plans that also include private and semi-pri- ° vate hospital benefits? A: Private supplementary insurance coverage won't be affected by the elimination of premiums. save ours? Quick action 'by 911 Emergency Response Teams has saved thousands of lives since the 911 number was first introduced for all purpose emergency calling more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, half of Canada's population does not have access to this number and those in trou- ble must rely on the old seven digit emergency call system. Gilles Pouliot, MPP for Lake Nipigon, told the Ontario Legislature that most communi- ties in his riding are unable to establish or maintain the 911 emergency system simply because of excessive cost. "Municipalities need provincial assistance to get the system up and running. It simply isn't acceptable to deny half the popu- lation access to a nation wide ini- tialive which saves lives," said Pouliot. Pouliot refused to accept the Solicitor General's response to his concern and insisted that remote, outlying communities should be given priority for the system because of the isolation factor which makes their need for a quick response much more acute. Belluz POT 2W0 Broker Realty Ltd. 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