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Beaver THE OAKVILLE Voted Ontario's Top Newspaper Four Years in a Row - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 www.carstaroakville.com www.dentistoakville.com 905-8457579 905-847 -2595 2212 Wyecroft Rd. 547 Trafalgar Rd. Power plant protest Page 3 905-842-6030 www.brantflorist.com/ob 905.639.7001 A member of Metroland Media Group Ltd. Vol. 52 No. 142 "USING COMMUNICATION TO BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES" THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009 24 Pages $1.00 (plus GST) Cro$$-Border Care Record numbers of Ontarians are being sent to the U.S. by their government for routine health care that should be available at home. A Metroland Special Report shows thousands of others are funding their own medical treatments south of the border, at high personal cost. The numbers have been rising for the last 10 years. Government approvals for outof-country health care funding are up 450 per cent. Should Ontarians have to use a passport to get health care? By Melinda Dalton, Joe Fantauzzi and Matthew Strader FIRST IN A THREE-PART SERIES O PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SCOTT GARDNER, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR akville's Kelly Rosettani is happy with the quick treatment she was able to get in the United States for her sixyear-old daughter's curved spine. When Rosettani's daughter, Jenna Mayer, went in August for a regular checkup, the doctor said he wanted her to have an X-ray because it looked as if she might have scolio- agreed to fund 2,110 procedures or treatsis, a curvature of the spine. ments in 2001, and 11,775 last year. A Toronto doctor ordered an MRI, and · Patient demand has created a new breed mentioned that depending on its outcome, of health-system navigators, known as medJenna might need a brace. ical brokers, who find U.S. options for the But the family was not satisfied with an growing number of Ontario patients who MRI wait time of two to six months. elect to pay for medical services south of the In October, the family went to the U.S. In border themselves. less than six weeks, they had conMedical brokers negotiate dissulted at an American children's count rates with U.S. centres to hospital, seen a specialist in get Ontarians faster diagnostics, Virginia, acquired a medical second opinions and surgery. brace for Jenna, and returned Brokers say that for every home. patient sent south by the Ontario The family believes they did government, there may be up to the right thing by going to the 10 others who go -- and pay -- U.S. on their own. "We want people to know that · Ontario's spending on outyou do not necessarily have to of-Canada medical services has Jenna Mayer wait, you can get excellent treattripled in the last five years. ment outside the country," Rosettani said. Payments in 2010 will balloon to $164.3 milLong waits, unavailable procedures and lion, from $56.3 million in 2005. The poor physician access are driving record province said in last month's economic forenumbers of Ontarians to seek treatment cast it needs to increase health spending by south of the border and sometimes overseas. $700 million to cover "higher than anticipatA Metroland Special Report on Cross ed" OHIP costs, including services outside Border Care shows: the province. · A 450 per cent increase in OHIP While out-of-country spending is a small approvals for out-of-country care since the part of the $11 billion OHIP pays for all beginning of this decade, a period of explosive patient services a year, the increase is signifigrowth in new technologies and therapies cant, Ontario's health minister says. not covered or available here. The province See Ontario page 12 DORVAL DRIVE I 175 Wyecroft Rd., Oakville Between Between Kerr & Dorva Dorval Chrysler Canada 905.845.6653 Make a fresh start and help the environment WYECROFT RD. SPEERS RD. In partnership with the Retire Your Ride Program CASH FOR CLUNKERS GET UP TO $1,800 IN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES YOUR FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS! · www.lockwoodchrysler.com Celebrating 26 years in Oakville KERR ST. TRAFALGAR QEW