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Province caps hospital parking, reduces rates for regulars by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Thursday, January 21, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com People who regularly use Halton hospitals, including Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH), may soon pay less for parking. Oakville MPP and Ontario Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn announced Monday (Jan. 18) the Government of Ontario is imposing an immediate three-year freeze on the price of parking at all the province's hospitals. He also noted hospitals that charge more than $10 per day for parking will soon be required to offer discounts to long-term users. "They'll be asked to provide parking passes for five-, 10-, and 30-day periods at a 50 per cent discount. So, essentially, what we are doing is cutting the rates in half for people who have to use the hospital on a regular basis," Flynn said at a press conference at the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) office in Oakville. "We also wanted to make these passes mirror the reality of having someone in your family in hospital, so it is transferable between either the patient, who may be going in and out, or passed around the family." The passes will be equipped with in-and-out privileges throughout a 24-hour period and will be good for one year from the date-of-purchase. Flynn noted the affected hospitals, which include OTMH, Milton District Hospital, Georgetown Hospital and Joseph Brant Ontario Labour Minister and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn announced the Ontario government is making parking at hospitals more affordable for regular visitors. As of Monday, the parking rates are frozen for the next three years and as of this October, hospitals will offer discounted parking passes. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver Hospital in Burlington, have until Oct. 1 to adopt the discounted pass program. He said he's hopeful the hospitals will adopt the change well before then. "We know this is going to cost some money to the hospitals. We understand that. We're not blind to that fact and we want to be a part of that solution," said Flynn. "I really think this is the right thing to do for the patients. As much as we live and work in that world where there is a lot of administration, program details to be figured out, equipment to be bought and people to be trained, at the end of the day, it is about the patient. "It is about that person who needs our services and I think we've got to be sympathetic and empathetic to the financial realities of those families and that sometimes they just can't afford the parking that we are charging at the hospital today." The daily maximum charged for parking at Halton Healthcare hospitals is $17.50. Flynn said the Province consulted with patients, patient advocacy groups, hospitals and the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). Approximately 900,000 patients and visitors, including 135,000 seniors, are expected to benefit from the new parking fees. Ontario Minister of Health and LongTerm Care Dr. Eric Hoskins echoed Flynn's sentiments. "Parking fees should never be a barrier for patients when they go to the hospital. With today's announcement, we are providing relief from the high cost of parking at some hospitals in Ontario," said Hoskins, about those who frequent the hospital often, in a press release "By making parking more affordable for patients and their loved ones, who visit the hospital often, we are helping reduce the burden of parking fees and putting patients first." While it may have been consulted about the Province's parking plan, the OHA is not happy about it. The advocacy group, which speaks for Ontario's public hospitals, said the Province's actions could not come at a worse time. In a statement released Monday, the OHA said after four years without an increase in base operating funding, hospitals are facing extremely challenging budget decisions aimed at containing costs while meeting the increasing service needs of patients. It went on to note as hospitals absorb hundreds of millions in operating costs without an inflationary increase, it is increasingly difficult for them to invest in other important health care priorities, such as capital improvements to their buildings, new medical and diagnostic equipment, and information and communications technology. Flynn said there are 45 hospitals in Ontario currently offering free parking and 54 that charge $10 or less for parking per day. He estimated there are 36 hospitals in Ontario that charge more than $10 per day. NEW! UNfiNishEd italiaN madE fUrNitUrE. Since 1967 INJURED? I Can Help! 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