Snowbirds win court challenge to restore overseas insurance coverage

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TORONTO, September 24, 2020 / CNW / – The Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA) applauds the September 23 unanimous decision of the Ontario Divisional Court in Canadian Snowbirds Association Inc. v. Attorney General of Ontario rescind part of Ontario Regulation 259 that terminated OHIP’s Traveler Abroad Program (OOCTP). In this decision, the Court found that by virtue of the Ontario Health insurance law, the Lieutenant Governor in Council does not have the statutory authority to pass regulations that would repeal the OOCTP.

At January 1, 2020, in an unprecedented move, the Ontario government continued its plan to end the Travelers Abroad Program, which provided for reimbursement of Ontario residents who have faced medical emergencies while traveling outside the country. This policy change made Ontario the only jurisdiction in Canada remove all emergency medical coverage for residents traveling abroad.

The court ruling restores this important coverage for Ontarians who travel, restoring reimbursement rates to $ 200 and $ 400 per day for emergency inpatient services and up to $ 50 per day for emergency outpatient services. Although the ASC continues to advise travelers to obtain adequate travel medical insurance before any trip abroad, the reinstatement of coverage will reduce insurance premiums, making travel more affordable, especially for individuals. seniors in the province.

“The Canadian Snowbird Association is satisfied with the Court’s decision,” said Karen Huestis, President of the Canadian Snowbird Association. “The decision affirms the right to Ontario residents to emergency insurance coverage abroad, as required by Canada Health Act (CHA). “

Under the Ontario Health insurance law, the legislation that governs the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, the corresponding regulations may not contain any provision that violates any of the five pillars of the Canada Health Act. One of the five pillars of the CHA is portability, which requires provincial and territorial health insurance plans to cover insured health services for residents who are temporarily absent from their province or territory of residence or from Canada. If the insureds are temporarily absent in another province or territory, the portability criterion requires that the insured services be paid at the rate of the host province. If the insureds are temporarily out of the country, the insured services must be paid at the rate of the originating province.

The CSA remains hopeful that the Ontario government will respect the court’s ruling and not seek to appeal, as it did more recently in the court case regarding the government’s mandatory gas pump decals. .

The Canadian Snowbird Association represents over 50,000 Ontario residents and maintains a total workforce of over 115,000 travelers across Canada.

The Canadian Snowbird Association has over 115,000 members, a non-profit, non-partisan organization representing Canadian travelers from across the country. The CSA works in partnership with government and business to educate and advocate for the interests of all Canadian travelers, helping to ensure access to safe and healthy travel without restrictions on freedom of movement.

SOURCE Canadian Snowbird Association

For further information: Evan Rachkovsky, Director of Research and Communications, Canadian Snowbird Association, (416) 902-4443, [email protected], www.snowbirds.org

Related links

http://www.snowbirds.org

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