Ontario and the Three Month Wait Policy: A Call for Removal

Ontario and the Three Month Wait Policy: A Call for Removal
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Ontario and the Three Month Wait Policy: A Call for Removal
Introduction: The Issue
The province of Ontario currently enforces a three-month wait policy on new immigrants, returning Canadian citizens, and residents who have lost documentation before receiving health coverage. Included in this group are refugees and persons who have been denied asylum, as well as those who have lost their official documents (e.g. passports), such the mentally ill and the homeless. Similarly illegal immigrants are not allowed access to publicly provided health services. However, this policy has received widespread condemnation from healthcare professionals, who argue that the three-month wait puts the health of the affected groups at risk and contributes to the ongoing poor health levels in Ontario. This research paper presents evidence from previous studies which support the call for the removal of the three-month wait policy.
Historical Background of the OHIP and the Three-Month Wait Policy
Public health insurance in Ontario was first implemented in 1959 under the Ontario Hospital Services Commission. The Ontario Medical Services Insurance Plan (OMSIP) was introduced in 1966 to cater for the medical needs of individuals who lacked the ability to pay for private medical insurance as a result of unemployment, old age, and poor health. The Ontario Health Services Insurance Plan (OHSIP) replaced OMSIP, and merged the private insurance providers- 35 at the time, under a single public platform with standardized regulations (Health Canada, 2012). This move was intended to align healthcare with public administration requirements as well as universal principles by providing affordable healthcare to the majority of citizens. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan was introduced in 1972, and brought to an end the involvement of private insurance companies in healthcare insurance.
The three-month wait period was not a new invention of public healthcare under the OHIP. Prior to its implementation, private healthcare insurance providers imposed the three-month wait policy for new residents. In fact, the policy was a constant feature in previous provincial healthcare insurance policies dating back to 1959 and which the OHIP adopted the policy into public healthcare. The three-month wait policy is also in accordance with the Canadian Health Act, which specifies the period of three months as the maximum time that uninsured persons can wait after assuming residence in Canada before qualifying for public health insurance.
Funding for OHIP
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan is funded by taxes from the residents/working residents and businesses of Ontario, in addition to fund transfers from the federal government (Health Canada, 2012). Employed persons pay a tax premium in proportion to their total annual earnings (Sherrard, 2004). There also tax revenues paid by employers (through...