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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-02-12, Page 1L i ,„ndia.n 711, .vr 1NCO IfM ifs.ATONQD-11 STANIDA H11)-711IF: 1 .fib 1F I11°.11a1ID BIT (w • NO. 7 121 YEARS • • • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1986 50 CENTS Doctors willing to opt out By Alan Rivett CLINTON - In response to the Ontario government's proposed ban on extra -billing, 80 per cent of the Huron County chapter of the Ontario Medical Association are set to opt out of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), according to Dr. Art Steed, president of the county chapter. Dr. Steed, a physician in Clinton for the past 4.5. years, says the opting out by the majority of county members is in support of the Ontario Medical Association's (OMA) proposal for an Ontario -wide exodus from OHIP to fight the Health Care Accessibility Act. The bill, introduced by Health Minister Murray Elston in December, would ban extra -billing in the province. The legislation would allow doctors to opt out of OHIP, but doctors would only be allowed to charge the OHIP rates. Doctors charging over OHIP rates would be subject to a fine of up to $10,000. The 80 per cent of opted out doctors who indicated they would opt out of OHIP would represents a steep increase for the 45 member Huron County OMA chapter, says Dr. Steed. Currently, only four per cent of the doctors in Huron County have opted out of the insurance plan. By opting out, the doctors would bill the patient directly who would then file the claim with OHIP for reimbursement. Dr. Steed says after meeting with.MPP Jack Riddell on January 31, he is still hopeful that modifications can be made to the bill before it is passed into legislation. "Last Friday I met with Jack Riddell and, as.a member of the caucus, he fully supports the bill. But, he says there's an opportunity for submissions at the committee level. He says there is a chance some changes could be made, but I don't know if it's politics. talking or if that's what he really felt," says Dr. Steed in an interview at his office on February 7. At an upcoming OMA meeting in Kitchener on February 12, the membership will also be asked to sign a consent form, stating they will engage in "civil disobedience" if the bill is passed. The doctors would extra -bill a small amount and direct the money towards a charity. Dr. Steed says he will extra -bill and give the money to the Clinton Public Hospital in the event the legislation is passed. "It's an excellent facility but it's suffering from a chronic shortage of funds. We would bill patients a token amount above the legal amount. The money would go towards the hospital building fund. I'm quite willing to go to jail for that," said Dr. Steed. In assessing the impact of the opting out movement among doctors, Dr. Steed says it will not only show the Ontario government the solidarity of the doctors in opposing DR. T.A. STEED what they feel is a infringement of their rights, but will also give citizens a better idea of what health care actually costs. "It's important to realize there is a professional relationship between the doctor and patient with the patient ultimately responsible for payment. This (opting out) will. emphasize there is a responsibility...Patients don't realize what expenses are incurred on their behalf," said Dr. Steed. By making the patients directly responsible for payment, he feels it will give them some insight into the kind of government bureaucracy the doctors have endured over the years. "Patients will discover there's a long delay between the time you perform the service to the time you get paid. It could be months. It will 1et" Ahern discover what dealing with the government is like. "Then, they'll direct their anger to where it should be directed - the government," said Dr. Steed. As for the .Health Care Accessibility Act alleviating the problems of accessibility to health care, Dr. Steed is skeptical. He says the bill will decrease access to hospitals and physicians. Currently, health care in the province is "perceived as free" which has created greater utilization of the health care system. The end result is decreased accessibility to hospitals and doctors. "The conceptof free medicine (no payment) eliminates deterrance." he said. • From the outset of the bill, the government has claimed extra -billing has made the health care system inaccessible to patients, especially senior citizens, of limited finances. Dr. Steed says he agrees there are stories of .doctors extra -billing patients who can't afford it, But, of the 12 per cent of doctors in Ontario who have opted out of OHIP, almost all these doctors have two billing numbers - one for OHIP and another for opted out claims. Senior citizens with senior citizens' cards and people on premium assistance are billed under the OHIP number, he says. "The senior citizens card is an obvious way to tell people wio can't afford to pay more. Most doctors are quite prepared to not bill them as a matter of principle," he said. The Ontario government, claims Dr. Steed, is also "scapegoating" doctors for the $50 -million per year it is losing in transfer payments to the province because of extra -billing or "balance billing." He says the $50 -million per year represents a relatively small amount when compared with the $8.4 -billion annual budget of the Ministry of Health. When placing the extra -billing issue in historical perspective, Dr. Steed says when OHIP was first introduced, doctors were to receive 90 per cent of the OMA rates with the remaining 10 per cent for administration costs. Today, the gap between the OMA rates and OHIP rates has widened to 30 per cent. When doctors are opting -out of OHIP they're billing to OMA rates. However, Dr. Steed says the extra -billing issue is a non-financial for the vast majority of doctors. He says the legislation would give the government control of the system, enabling it to set the OHIP rates for doctors. "Nobody would really trust the government to be fair, but we won't have any choice," he said... He further describes the proposed legislation banning extra -billing as "the state of other things4oaoine." If the bill is passed, he predicts patients can expect reduced access to physicians and waiting lists for hospital beds. It might also limit the number of lab tests a 'doctor can order.'For doctors, it may mean "capping", a system currently used in Quebec which places a limit on how much a doctor can earn on a quarterly basis. "Nobody is going to work over this limit," he said. Dr. Steed says the OMA is willing to work with the government to find a better solution in the area of billing by doctors. In the latest letter to Premier David Peterson by OMA President Dr. Earl Myers, it stated the OMA would be willing to participate in a study of physicians' billing practices. HERITAGE WEEK LACAC preserves heritage By Anne Narejko CLINTON - Heritage is an important part of society. It tells the style of living our ancestors experienced, the tastes of the time and the quality of life in years gone by. In. order to preserve this heritage, steps must be taken to see the work is done properly. When advice on properties of historical and architectural significance is needed, the best source of information is the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC). The Clinton LACAC consists of chairperson Nancy Fisher- Vossen , secretary Reg Thompson, council representative Ken Holmes and members Doris Batkin, Faye Fear, Marilyn Tyndall and Isabel Theedom. According to Ms. Fisher- Vossen, LACAC, which is a sub -committee of town council, is not the same as a historical society. However, Clinton does not have a historical society, therefore LACAC gathers historical information as well as informs and advises the public of properties which should be designated and reserved. LACAC was formed in 1978 after—there was talk of demolishing the town hall. Founding members included Ron McKay, who was instrumental in the formation of the • committee, Reg Thompson, Clarence Denomme, Kelvin Jervis, Heather Hunter, Bess Fingland, Betty MacDonald, Helen Tench, Gerry Fremlin, Bryan Williams, Muriel Trott, and Doris Batkin who is the only founding member to remain on the committee each consecutive year. During the first year, Nick Hill was the consulting architect. First Desi riati ni The main objective in the designation of property is to protect the original character and to receive LACAC advice when architecturally altering changes are:,heir g considered. Clinton's first and largest designation was the town hall, library and library ..k in 1978. Although LACAC was not ° i involved with the restorations, they did have a representative, Jo Winter, on the building committee. 'They were also responsible for bringing Lynne DiStefano of the Ontario Heritage Foundation Board to town for consultations. Over the years, 13 properties have udergone a detailed study and each has been The Clinton LACAC volunteers numerous hours to preserving property in the Clinton area. The committee is made up of council -representative Ken Holmes, Marilyn Tyndall, ,n seer ry Reg Thompson, charter member Doris Batkin and chairperson Nancy Fisher- 'V'osse i. (Anne Narejko photo) dete incd,to have special historical and -or archil tural qualities that deserve special prese ation. Builds designated in 1982 were: - The Victoria Block at 15-17 Victoria Street. This its the only three storey business block in Clinton and provides an impressive anchor to the south end of the commercial district. It is the only commercial building in Clinton constructed in. the Second Ernpire style. - McGarva-Fingland House at 154 Ontario Street. This house is an example of a moderate mid-Victorian home, built around 1865, and occupied by onlytwo families, both of whom have contribditr greatly to the development of both Clinton, and Huron County. - The Cooper House at62 Orange Street. This Urn topage 2/. Larry Walsh couldn't believe it when he won $10,000 in a Scratch and Win Lottery on February 6 after buying the ticket at the Blyth Mini -Mart. Mr. Walsh and his family plan to spend the money on home repairs. ( Arnie Narejko photo) Blyth man wins big BLYTH - Everyone dreams of winning a lottery but very few actually do. Some may win $10, $25 or even $100, but not many of us are as fortunate as Larry Walsh was on February 6. While on his coffee break, Mr. Walsh decided to leave the municipal office where he holds the position as clerk, and stroll across the street to the Blyth Mini -Mart. He had no idea he would return $10,000 richer after playing Scratch and Win. Mr. Walsh buys a few tickets every week and has previously won small amounts ranging from $25 to $100 in various lotteries, but never anything close to $10,000. When asked if he was surprised, Mr. Walsh said, "You bet." He had initially gone to the Mini -Mart to purchase three tickets but was talked into buying five. The other four tickets were not winners. Mr. Walsh travelled to 'Toronto last weekend to collect the money, and although he jokingly claims he doesn't have any plans for the money he says, "My wife and daughter do." The Walsh's plan to do some general house repairs with the winnings. How does Mr. Walsh explain his good for- tune? "I just got lucky, that's all." Town .is in secondphase of ONIP CLINTON - The town is now in the second year of the Ontario Neighborhood Improve- ment Program (ONIP) with a total of $119,100 in subsidized projects scheduled. Duripg council's February 3 meeting, `Richart Anderson of B.M. Ross Associates, former councillor John Deeves and Clinton Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Manager Gus Boussey were on hand to ex- plain the program to the new council. The ONIP grant allocated $175,000 to the Town of Clinton to be used over three years, starting in 1985 and ending in 1987. Under ,.the terms off the grant, the municipality is to match the dollar figure by spliting costs at 50 per cent. While explaining the grant's regulations, Mr. Anderson told council, "you are leder no obligation to do everything in the plan but you cannot do anything that is not there." In 1985, 12 'projects were completed, using approximately $58,450 of the ONIP grant. While carrying out jobs on watermains and streetlights which fall under the ONIP grant, jobs such as reconstruction and pav- ing of streets which are not under the ONIP grant, were also done: These may be sub- sidized by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) . "While we were doing one, it makes sense to do the other at the same time," said clerk Cam Proctor. Projects done in 1985 under the ONIP grant included the watermain, sidewalks and street lights on Frederick Street; water - main and sidewalks on Wellington Street; watermain on North Street; ice plant upgrading at the community centre and the building of Optimist Park. The total cost of these projects is estimated at $116,900 with the municipality and the ONIP grant paying $58,450 each. Work that was.done and not covered under the grant was the reconstruction of Frederick and Wellington Streets and the paving of Mary arid Matilda Streets. Estimated costs came to $102,000. Scheduled for 1986 are: Project North St. - Street Lights • North St. - Sidewalks Wellington St. - Street Lights Princess St. - Street Lights Princess St. - Sidewalks Percival St. - Street Lights Rattenbury St. - Street Lights William St., Gibbings St., DinsleySt., Raglan St., - Street Lights Dunlop St. - Street Lights Erie St. - Street Lights Orange St. - Sidewalk Also scheduled for 1986 is the reconstruction of North Street but it does not fall under the ONIP grant. Mr. Boussey commented on the street lights to be upgraded, saying that 85 units will be ordered costing approximately $35,000. The majority of work will be done on lights in the east end of town in an attempt to update the lighting. Council attempts to improve town with the help of ONIP grant "The lights which are there now are the ones taken from main street in 1970. They don't give out the proper amount of light for the energy they use," said Mr. Boussey, also adding, "The new ones will be almost maintenance free and throw off five times the amount of light using less wattage." Another reason for updating the lights in the east end is the use which the area gets. "There's a lot of activity with the chur- ches and schools in that part of town," said Mr. Boussey. Mayor John Balfour reiterated the PUC manager's view on the need for updated lighting, saying, "Rattenbury and Princess Streets are the worst lit streets in town." Commenting on the completion of the 1985 project, Mr. Boussey said the watermain work "went as planned" with the PUC financing half of it. 1986 ONIP Schedule Estimated Costs Municipal Share $2,250. $4,500 $ 800 $3,500 $8,750 $1,250 $3,500 $2,750 $1,000 $2,750 $3,500 ONIP Grant $2,250 $4,500 $ 80C $3,500 $8,750 $1,250 $3,500 $2,750 $1,000 $2,750 $3,500 Council approves budget A $6.06 million budget for Huronview home for the aged was approved at the February session of county council, but budget estimates will get a second look when the entire county budget is considered. What is of most importance in the Huron - view budget is capital expenses of $486,000, of which the county would pay $243,000, The money is to be spent on $400,000 of renova- tions in the,hmerhiil and Eastdale wings . of the home and $86,000 for paving the park- ing lots and driveways. Huronview administrator Wayne Lester said the county has until Mar. 15 to decide whether it will go ahead with the project or not. The project includes providing private washroom facilities and • expanding the rooms. "Weall knew this day was corning," said Huronview's past chairman Marie Hicknell. "I'm for the Huronview project. I hope everyone listens to both sides and takes the time to go to fluronview." The three"P�ear.$1.4 million project was approved by last year's county council, but Turn to page 2