Health minister under fire over OHIP changes for eye care, uninsured patients

Health Minister Sylvia Jones is on the defensive after scaling back free eye tests for seniors and winding down a pandemic-era program that provided medicare services for the uninsured.

Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives unveiled the controversial changes Friday afternoon while most media attention was focused on U.S. President Joe Biden’s official visit to Ottawa.

That left Jones under fire Monday, where she accused the opposition NDP of spreading “false information” online about the end of the Physician and Hospital Services for Uninsured Persons program, which was launched when COVID-19 struck in March 2020.

“If there is one individual who chooses not to take their loved one to a hospital because they think they’re uninsured, then that’s on the NDP to explain,” she fumed.

“This program was put in place when individuals could not travel in the province of Ontario at the beginning of the pandemic — when we had limitations on individuals who needed to be able to return to their home communities,” the minister said.

“I want to reinforce: We have 75 community health centres spread across Ontario that have funding models that ensure that they can provide necessary health services for individuals who, for any number of reasons, do not have an up-to-date OHIP card,” said Jones.

“We have temporary foreign workers who have programs provided by the federal government to ensure that they have health-care funding in the province of Ontario,” she said.

Under the plan, hospitals and doctors were allowed to bill the government for “medically necessary” treatments provided to patients without OHIP coverage.

“There is no change in the way that uninsured persons will receive care in the province of Ontario. The only change is how hospitals, community health and midwifery centres will be reimbursed for insuring and providing that care.”

Despite Jones’s comments, the New Democrats refused to back down from claims the change might mean refugees won’t receive health-care coverage.

“This program existed for a reason — it exists because people were slipping through the cracks,” said NDP Leader Marit Stiles.

“There are many people, including refugees, who slipped through the cracks of the system all the time. The minister should be more concerned right now about how she’s going to reverse this change and fix this problem than she is about whatever is on our website,” said Stiles.

Jones also faced criticism for changing OHIP-covered annual eye tests for those 65 and up to offering free exams to all seniors every 18 months.

As well, seniors will be restricted to two free minor followup assessments with an optometrist every year; currently, there’s no limit.

That’s the result of a new funding deal between the government and the Ontario Association of Optometrists.

“I can see that any change can be something that needs (you) to have a conversation with your optometrist, but I also want to highlight that Ontario is not leading in these changes,” she said.

“In fact, Manitoba and Nova Scotia, both have … 24-month access, so we have extended it for individuals — seniors with healthy eyes — to 18 months.”

But Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said the Tories’ message coming out of last Thursday’s $204.7-billion budget is clear.

“Seniors’ eye care, you’re on your own. Child struggling to get school, you’re on your own,” said Fraser.

“That’s what this government’s budget has been saying to families,” he said.

“There’s nothing in there that supports families in a way just to make life a little bit easier.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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