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People With Old Health Cards Could See Coverage Cancelled

Posted By: Suzette Francis · 7/26/2012 11:02:00 AM

Millions of Ontarians could find themselves without health insurance coverage if they ignore government notices to get a new health card.
    
There are still more than 3.5 million Ontario residents with the old red-and-white health cards that have no expiry date.
    
One of them was CTV health reporter Avis Favaro, who discovered her OHIP card had been cancelled when she went to a Hunstville walk-in clinic after suffering a bad reaction to an insect bite.
    
Favaro was told she would have to pay $60 cash to see a doctor.
    
Government officials won't comment on a specific case, but say people are sent three notices telling them to get a new health card with a photograph and a five-year expiry date.
    
If the card holder doesn't respond, and the health card hasn't been used in seven years, the government will suspend it.

(The Canadian Press)

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  • 15
  1. wanda posted on 07/26/2012 11:41 AM
    money grabbing.....surprise, surprise.....
  2. CatherineM_6 posted on 07/26/2012 11:59 AM
    There are 3 of us in my household with the old red & white cards and NOT ONE of us has ever yet received a notice!
  3. Suzanne Robertson posted on 07/26/2012 12:07 PM
    I still have the red and white OHIP card. I have lived at the same address for about 13 years and have never been asked to do anything about it. I have been using it without any problem for quite some time now.
  4. IvanaG posted on 07/26/2012 12:07 PM
    My husband and I still have the old red and white cards. I've never received a notice. My daughter never received a notice but discovered that her card had been cancelled when she went to see her doctor. This is another cash grab. After all we all we will be required to renew the card every 5 years for a fee.
    1. calvinhc posted on 07/26/2012 12:15 PM
      @IvanaG There is no cash fee to renew it, and there has been no mention of a fee being added.

      However, there is a TIME fee to go renew it. Why spend some of your time every five years when there is no hard expiry announced for your red and white card?
  5. proton posted on 07/26/2012 12:10 PM
    we've never received any notice regarding replacing our health cards.

    If the gov't is doing this in order to curb system abuse they should start by cancelling deb matthews as health minister, then sue chris mazza and the previous orang board

    as always, go after innocent people first rather than the ones who cause the most problems
  6. calvinhc posted on 07/26/2012 12:11 PM
    First off, I cannot understand why the provincial government did not make a firm announcement once the photo cards were out that the red and white cards will not be useable after such-and-such date. What is the point of coming out with a photo card to suppress fraud and then you continue to allow the old card?!?

    That said, I will continue to use my no-expiry-date red and white card until they do just that. Why should I spend my time every five years to go get a new card.

    "Seven years of non-use after three notices" is not a FIRM cut-off date.

    Have some balls McGuinty and announce a FIRM cut-off date for the red and white card!
  7. Keith M posted on 07/26/2012 12:22 PM
    If you haven't used your health card in 7 years, considering doctors appointments, flu shots, or minor illnesses then cancelling it I don't feel is unreasonable. However, you should receive notification of this through mail.
    1. Keith M posted on 07/26/2012 12:23 PM
      @Keith M I only say this because of the possibility that the card could fall through the cracks after that amount of time and eventually be used by people who should not be using it.
  8. Victor posted on 07/26/2012 12:36 PM
    I've been living in the same house for the last 20 years and I have never received a notice.
  9. Vicky posted on 07/26/2012 02:05 PM
    I've been on the new card system for the past almost 13 years when I changed my surname to my married one. My biggest complaint has always been that I have to go every five years for a new photo and the folks with the old cards don't need to! The Liberals have been WAY behind on establishing the photo card ID system for all Ontarians.

    What if you lost your OHIP card, and someone picked it up and started using it because it was the old type?
    1. calvinhc posted on 07/30/2012 01:40 PM
      @Vicky Losing your OHIP card and having someone else use it is exactly why the photo cards were introduced. So WHY has the provincial government never announced a final cut-off date for the red and white cards?

      This is the same logic that has you spend a thousand dollars to replace your front door with the most secure high-tech door on the planet in order to make your home secure, but you leave the same old door in place at the back of your home.
  10. Sarah Manson posted on 07/26/2012 02:34 PM
    I have had the same "old" card for more than 20 years, have been to the doctor many times over the past year, and not once have I ever gotten a notice to get a new card, in all of that time! Something's very, very fishy here!
    1. ShirlieM posted on 07/26/2012 02:56 PM
      @Sarah Manson I still have my old card which I use frequently - have NEVER been told not to by anyone . McGuinty needs to cut the crap and notify everyone if the law is changed and the photo ID card is manditory!!
  11. Monika posted on 07/27/2012 02:09 AM
    This is just another money grab, I think making our SIN number secure to top priorty.
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