HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-04-16, Page 9More families eligible
for free dental care
The Ontario government has raised
the income cut-off for the Healthy
Smiles Ontario program.
Families who do not have dental
insurance and meet new income
requirements may qualify for free
dental care for their children 17 years of
age and younger. The income cutoff,
which is dependent on the number of
children in a family, was formerly
$20,000/
More than 70,000 children and youth
across all of Ontario are now eligible to
receive publicly funded dental services
as a result of the increased income
levels.
"The increase to the eligibility criteria
is a great help because more children
and youth will now be able to receive
free dental coverage from their dentists,"
said Dental Hygienist Trina O'Rourke.
The increase came into effect on April
first, which lines up perfectly with the
start of Oral Health Month."
O'Rourke went on to say, "It is
important to have your children visit a
dentist regularly to maintain their oral
health. Good oral health means good
overall health."
Any parents with questions about the
program are asked to call the Huron
County
Health Unit at: 519-482-3416 or toll
free at 1-877-837-6143.
Keep alert for deceptive
door-to-door sales tactics
As the weather starts to warm up it
generally brings an increase in the
number of door-to-door sales visits,
and an increase in fraud attempts.
On Thursday, April 3, two suspicious
males were canvassing homes in
Goderich in an effort to inspect hot
water tanks and to enlist customers
into a hot water tank rental agreement.
In both cases the suspicious salespeo-
ple claimed to work for Reliance Water
Heater however it was later deter-
mined they were working for another
company.
Here are some tips to protect your-
self when the next door-to-door sales-
person shows up at your home.
Ask for Identification- Reputable
companies use photo ID. Don't let the
salesperson start their pitch until you
have seen photo ID. Get the name of
the business and the name of the sales-
person. If they don't have identifica-
tion with them they are likely scam
artists.
Get the info in writing- Ask about
the rental fees, installation, repair and
extra service charges. Review the war-
ranties and insist on getting the details
in writing. Keep copies of this
information.
Don't sign on the spot- If the sales-
person pressures you to sign on the
spot, don't. Shut the door or insist that
you need additional time to read and
understand the agreement. Reputable
salespeople will carry brochures about
their products or services. A "deal" is
never only good for that visit. If you
need further time to review the offer it
will be there tomorrow.
Understand the agreement- How
long does the agreement last? Are
there any other costs other than the
monthly rental? Are there fees if you
cancel the agreement? Will the com-
pany renew the rental agreement with-
out your prior written consent?
Know your consumer rights- The
Ontario Consumer Protection Act pro-
tects people who enter into rental con-
tracts for water heaters. You are enti-
tled to a 10 -day cooling off period to
change your mind and opt out of any
contract you sign for your water heater
rental. The 10 days begin when you
receive your copy of the written
contract.
All charges within the contract must
be exactly as they are stated. For
example, a company is not allowed to
add a surcharge that is not noted
unless it is a tax. You have up to one
year to cancel if the agreement does
not meet certain requirements such as
costs and contractual rights.
Remember, reputable companies
comply with the law. If you believe the
business or salesperson made a false,
misleading or deceptive statement you
may have further remedies under the
Consumer Protection Act. Further
information can be found at www.
ontario.ca.
NEWS TIP?
519-482-3443
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 • News Record 9
Optimistic Guides
Submitted
The Optimist Club of Clinton presented a cheque to the 1st Clinton Girl Guides for $500 recently. The
Girl Guides took part in the presentation.
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