OPEN Letter to Citizens of Ontario regarding Post Stroke Treatment and Alleged Age Discrimination

February 23, 2015

As a local stroke recovery and peer support group, we want all Ontario citizens to be aware that if they were to suffer a stroke in Ontario and are between the ages of 20 and 64, you will be denied more stroke treatment/physiotherapy funded and offered by OHIP after receiving your initial and short term stroke treatment regime, simply because of your age and a discriminatory outdated OHIP Act.

This blatant act of age discrimination is of particular concern for the university and college students and young working parents of Ontario who may have the misfortune of a stroke.

We urge all Ontarians to contact Premier Wynne ( premier@ontario.ca) and your local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to raise this issue, demand changes to the OHIP Act in 2015 to eliminate this blatant act of age discrimination and to bring forward fully publicly funded Long Term Treatment for Ontario Post stroke patients between the ages of 20 and 64.

We need to help the future stroke patients of Ontario by amending and updating the OHIP Act. Your response to our requested action will go a long way in improving stroke treatment for Ontarians of all ages.

Thank you for helping the future stroke patients of Ontario, your children and grandchildren by contacting Premier Wynne and your local MPP on this important health subject.

All Ontarians should prepare themselves financially in the case of a stroke as our public healthcare system does not cover Post-Stroke Treatment to the extent that one would expect in Ontario.

Most Post-Stroke Patients spend thousands of dollars, out of pocket, per month to purchase their own stroke treatment/physiotherapy programs.

When Post-stroke Ontarians are forced to sell their houses to purchase private treatment, this obviously does not represent the spirit of public healthcare.

When it comes to Post-Stroke Treatment/physiotherapy in Ontario, the word “Public” in Public Healthcare has a diminished meaning, based upon our experiences.

We feel as a Stroke Recovery Group that we have a social responsibility to bring the above information to the attention of Ontarians and we request your help to convince the Ontario government that Post-Stroke Patients are worthy of treatment and Rehabilitation.

Please help us to stop the act of legalized discrimination against stroke patients in Ontario.

If you require further information respecting the above, we encourage you to send your questions to the Communications Department of the Ontario Ministry of Health via email. MOH Communications staff can be contacted at CSU.MOH@ontario.ca

Sincerely

Jim McEwen, Post-Stroke Patient under the age of 64
Vice-President

And

Steve Madeley, Post-Stroke Patient under the age of 64, President, Durham Region Stroke Recovery Group

1850 Rossland Road East. Whitby, Ontario