Canada: Long term care not covered by Health Act
A Canadian taxpayer all her life, Jean White never dreamed she wouldbe draining her life savings to pay for her husband’s health care.
Henry White has Alzheimer’s and Jean can’t look after him at homeanymore. He is being moved from hospital into a long-term carefacility.
The White’s home province of New Brunswick says the family will haveto foot the bill themselves — close to $5000.00 per month.
“He can’t walk. He can’t go to the bathroom and he can’t brush histeeth. He can’t comb his hair,” said White from her home in Bathurst,on the north shore of the province.
“I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay for his medical care.”
New Brunswick did a means test on the Whites and determined theyhave enough life savings to pay themselves, instead of getting asubsidy.
The $5,000 bill will eat up almost all of their monthly income. JeanWhite will have to live off the savings, until much of the money isgone or until Henry dies — whichever comes first.
“We have a two-tier health system now which is completelycontradictory to the Health Act which says everyone should be eligiblefor the same health care,” said Steven White, the couple’s son.
“Someone who doesn’t have the financial stability that my parentshave are getting it free of charge and it’s not fair. I’m not saying itshould be free for us, but maybe it should be half the price or aquarter of the price.”
If the Whites lived in Alberta, Ontario, or any other province forthat matter, they would be charged less — much less in some places.
New Brunswick is now charging up to four times more than otherprovinces for the same type of long term care. The province looks atalmost all of a family’s assets to determine if they can pay — by farthe toughest means test in the country. Only a few assets are exempt –even the proceeds from the sale of the family home can be taken — ifand when it is sold.
“I think a Canadian in New Brunswick or Quebec or Ontario should bepaying the same, no matter where they live,” said their son. “That’sthe right and the privilege of a Canadian is to have health care paidfor by the government.”
The same dilemma could, theoretically, be faced by families in other provinces, too.
What most Canadians may not realize is that long term care is notactually covered by the Canada Health Act. The law simply doesn’t spellout that medical services must be covered in those facilities, but itdoes say the provinces can charge patients for room and board. That,according to critics, leaves the door wide open for provinces to setprices as high as they like, and use some of the patients’ fees to payfor their health care needs.