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Phones, TVS, cars are smart — why not guns? A potential solution for controlling guns is this: Make our guns smarter than the people who use them. A smart gun would use biometrics or, in the less-expensive models, radio- frequency identification technology to  identify the owner. When the gun's trigger is squeezed  by the owner, an internal solenoid would release the  gun's firing pin so that the gun   could fire. If someone else were to try to use the gun, it wouldn't fire; so it could not be used against the owner or anyone else. Not only that, it could be programmed to send out a GPS signal if it's ever lost, stolen or tampered with. Better yet, schools, churches, malls and other gun-free zones could transmit a remote disable signal to any (civilian) smart gun entering their property to prevent accidental or deliberate misuse. The first prototypes were developed for commercial sale as far back as 1975, and as more companies develop these modified gu...

LEST WE FORGET (Canadian Massacre) In the 1989 massacre of 14 women at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal ,   Marc Lepine used a Ruger Mini-14 rifle, at the time equipped with a substantial magazine. The Ruger Mini-14, dubbed the "poor man's assault rifle" by opponents, Lepine used 30-round magazines that are now banned in Canada . Today, the largest magazine allowed holds five rounds. The Ruger Mini-14 was one of the weapons legally obtained and used by Anders Breivik to kill 77 in Norway last year. "The ability to do a lot of damage with a firearm exists even with something as archaic as the Old West double-barrelled shotgun, which is limited to two shots, "It's absolutely unbelievable how fast a skilled operator can shoot and load something like that and the number of shots they can fire in a limited amount of time. The difference between that and a semi-automatic for the purposes of mass murder is inconsequential." I would like to a...

The government announced in the budget that it is eliminating the penny from Canada's coinage system. In about six months the Royal Canadian Mint will stop distributing Canadian coppers. What's going to happen to the pennies that are in circulation? Starting in the fall, businesses will be asked to return pennies to financial institutions. The coins will be melted and the metal content recycled. In the meantime, Canadians can continue to use pennies to pay for things and the one-cent piece will retain its value indefinitely. How long will it take? "There is no end date to this process," Alex Reeves of the Royal Canadian Mint told CBC News. I want to empty my penny jar. How many pennies can be used for a purchase? The Currency Act states: "A payment in coins … is a legal tender for no more than … 25 cents if the denomination is one cent." How will we pay for things in amounts not ending in a zero or a five? Coins abandoned around the world Other countries hav...

Dec.-2012 — A new study says basic prescription drug coverage could vary dramatically from state to state under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. That's because states get to set benefits for private health plans that will be offered starting in 2014 through new insurance exchanges. The study out Tuesday from the market analysis firm Avalere Health found that some states will require coverage of virtually all FDA-approved drugs, while others will only require coverage of about half of medications. Consumers will still have access to essential medications, but some may not have as much choice. Connecticut, Virginia and Arizona will be among the states with the most generous coverage, while California, Minnesota and North Carolina will be among states with the most limited.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is travelling to Labrador(Nov.30th.) to unveil details of what is expected to be the loan guarantee that he pledged during the 2011 federal election campaign. Interprovincial politics have played a key role in Muskrat Falls, as Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia have partnered to find a way deliver power to other markets while bypassing Quebec . Newfoundland and Labrador has had a strained relationship with Quebec for decades, due largely to the 65-year contract with Hydro-Quebec over the Churchill Falls generating station. Under that deal, which expires in 2041, Newfoundland and Labrador sells power at a flat, inexpensive rate to Quebec, which has been able to resell the power to other markets while keeping all the profits. Today, Hydro Quebec pays only about 1/4 of a cent for a kilowatt hour and then resells it for up to 6 cents. That's like buying oil at $1.65 a barrel and re-selling it at the world price of over $30 (Canadian) a barrel....

From: Martyn & Steph -NZ The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the most secretive and "least transparent" trade negotiations in history The Council of Canadians and OpenMedia, major campaigners for Internet freedom, have warned that the TPP would "criminalize some everyday uses of the Internet," including music downloads as well as the combining of different media works. OpenMedia warned that the TPP would "force service providers to collect and hand over your private data without privacy safeguards, and give media conglomerates more power to send you fines in the mail, remove online content - including entire websites - and even terminate your access to the Internet." Pharmaceutical corporations are major proponents of these rights and are likely to be among the major beneficiaries of the intellectual property chapter of the TPP. The pharmaceutical industry ensured that strong patent rules were included in the 1995 World Trade Organization agreement, but u...

How long can a Canadian Snowbird stay out of the Country How long you can stay out of the country depends on two things: your own provincial rules on medicare eligibility, and how long your host country (for most snowbirds that’s the United States) allows you to stay as a visitor.  These are two separate sets or rules, and they don’t necessarily coincide. Let’s deal with the provincial rules first. All provinces, except Ontario and Newfoundland, require you to actually live in your home province for at least six months plus a day (183 days in most years) in order to be considered a permanent resident of that province, and therefore qualified for provincial health insurance (medicare) benefits. That means actually residing in your home province and being able to prove it, if necessary, not simply owning a residence there and living in Portugal, Mexico or California for eight or nine months. That means you are allowed to be out-of-the province for half a year less a day—182 days. (Ca...

Health Care Reform - USA Emergency-room care is available to all by law, but treating an emergency medical condition is not comprehensive care. There is no follow-up after most injuries and illnesses. Enough treatment is provided to stabilize the patient A broken bone will be splinted or cast, but cast removal and therapy puts the uninsured on his own. A prescription may be written, but the meds are not commonly provided. Also, preventive care is not available at ERs. Uninsured patients receive care, and even though the treatment is delivered without regard to ability to pay, those uninsured patients are responsible for the costs and will be billed. Even Medicaid requires a co-pay, and unpaid charges will be reported to the credit bureaus. Those black marks on a credit report can adversely affect the uninsured's ability to secure student loans,find employment and purchase all types of insurance. The Affordable Care Act does more than provide emergency care. It allows so many people...

Time to make way for health reform in Florida After months of digging in against federal health care reform, Florida's Republican leaders seem to be yielding to today's realities. It's about time. The election is over, the voters have spoken and the hope that a court ruling or the presidential election would change the fate of Obama Care — is gone. A majority of Florida voters didn't support the candidate who promised to repeal the law. Neither did they back a state constitutional amendment that purported to exempt state residents from having to buy health insurance, the law's individual mandate. And as we all know, elections have consequences. Immediately after the election, a disappointed GOP Gov.  Scott, who helped lead the nation's charge against reform, said he was still not ready to implement the law a position that would force the federal government to do it for him. By contrast, a more reasonable state Senate President Don Gaetz said, "I don't l...

4/ Some plans offer a hotline to a nurse or doctor, price checks on tests ordered by a doctor, or where to find the best deal on a prescription. 5/ Set aside pre-tax dollars. Use a flexible-spending account from your employer or a third party, such as a bank, to deposit pre-tax money for health costs' not covered by your insurance, such as deductibles and co-pays. Note that the maxiumum contribution to a flexible-spending account next year has been lowered to $2,500, from $5,000. Employers offering high-deductible plans may also offer a health savings account, in which pre-tax dollars can also be socked away — but while money in an FSA must be used by year's end, money in an HSA rolls over from year to year. 6/ Mix and match coverage. Your spouse or domestic partner may be offered less-expensive coverage by his or her employer. Or it maybe less expensive for certain family members to be insured through an individually purchased health plan. Note that employer-based plans are mo...

Here are seven tips when choosing health insurance: 1/ Make sure you enroll If you don't re-enroll in your benefits or choose a new option, you could end up with no coverage next year. Check your enrollment dates, often in November or the spring, and make sure you sign up. Most people offered employer-sponsored health insurance should take it, said Keith Mendonsa, a consumer-insurance specialist for eHealthInsurance.com. And people with pre-existing conditions should definitely take it, because they could be turned away shopping on their own, he said. 2/ Pay attention to costs. Look at your premium contributions this year versus last; your maximum "out-of-pocket" expenses, which are your financial obligation for a catastrophic health issue; and your annual deductible "If my deductible is $2,500 and my out-of-pocket max is $5,000,1 know I'm going to have to pay $2,500 if I go into the hospital Can I afford that?" 3/ Compare types of plans. More employers are ...

Medicare payroll taxes: Increases Medicare payroll tax on couples' income above $250,000 and individuals' income over $200,000. Adds a new tax of 3.8 percent on income from investments for high-income taxpayers. Pre-existing conditions: Prohibits insurers from denying or limiting coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Insurance exchanges: States create health insurance exchanges — supermarkets for individuals and small businesses to buy coverage — and provides income-based tax credits for most consumers in them. Low-income access to care: Expands Medicaid to cover families and individuals with income up to 133 percent of the poverty line. Mandatory insurance: Requires most citizens and legal residents to have health insurance or pay a fine. Penalties for employers: Penalizes employers with more than 50 workers if insurance is not offered or if their workers get coverage through the exchange and receive a tax credit. High-cost policies: Levies a tax on so-called Cadillac hea...

Health care overhaul shifts to the fast track After long battle, implementation is a reality; states face key decisions soon for ObamaCare. President Barack Obama's election victory Tuesday all but assures that his landmark health care overhaul will be implemented, effectively putting an end to the Republican campaign to derail the law. Starting in 2014 , millions of Americans should be able to obtain health insurance for the first time. "It's all over but the shouting," said Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack, an influential consumer advocate and champion of the law. "What was very questionable at the start of the year has been settled.... The Affordable Care Act will be a permanent fixture of the American health care system" That outcome puts pressure on many Republican state leaders who fought it. They must decide within days whether to implement it or have the federal government- do it for them. Tuesday's results also present Obama with a ne...

Medicare, Social Security Florida, a retirement haven, is especially dependent on these big entitlement programs, and Obama has acknowledged they must be  changed to keep them solvent If s going to require all of us to work  together and tell the American people just how serious the current crisis is. Medicare in its current form is unsustainable The same goes with Social Security. The issue could come up as early as this month when Obama and congressional leaders explore ways to avoid falling off the "fiscal cliff" Thafs Washington shorthand for a draconian set of tax hikes and spending cuts that kick in at the end of the year unless the president and Congress agree on a better way to reduce the federal deficit. Cutting Medicare spending is one option that may be thrown on the bargaining table, as is raising taxes on the rich. The eligibility age for Medicare may need to be raised beyond 65 to keep the program solvent Other options also require painful choices, such as raisi...

Features of the Swiss health sysetm Swiss citizens buy insurance for themselves; there are no employer-sponsored or government-run insurance programs. Hence, insurance prices are transparent to the beneficiary. The government defines the minimum benefit package that qualifies for the mandate. Critically, all packages require beneficiaries to pick up a portion of the costs of their care (deductibles and coinsurance) in order to incentivize their frugality. The government subsidizes health care for the poor on a graduated basis, with the goal of preventing individuals from spending more than 10 percent of their income on insurance. But because people are still on the hook for a significant component of the costs, they often opt for cheaper packages; in 2003, 42% of Swiss citizens chose high-deductible plans (i.e., plans with significant cost-sharing features). Those who wish to acquire supplemental coverage are free to do so on their own.99.5% of Swiss citizens have health insurance. Bec...

Unfortunately, medicare's real story doesn't get much air time. Former Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas talked all his life about the need for the second stage of medicare. He said the first stage featured public payment for the old system based on treating illness with doctors and hospitals. He said the second stage would highlight a redesigned delivery system focussed on keeping people healthy. In the 1960s, Douglas and Supreme Court judge and co-founder of medicare Emmett Hall supported salaried doctors working in interdisciplinary teams. However, Douglas maintained that it was too politically difficult to change the way doctors were paid and how they did their work coincidently with pressuring them into public payment. For the rest of his life, he repeatedly warned that if the delivery system was left unreformed, medicare would increasingly fail Canadians and lose political support. When Canadians hear about the second stage of medicare, they are more than ready for a mat...

Pharmacists now have new powers Pharmacists now able to vaccinate. Pharmacy professions will also be allowed to renew most prescriptions and help patients quit smoking by prescribing medication under changes unveiled Tuesday. "It's great news for our pharmacists and if s great news for taxpayers as well because the more that we can do to keep people healthy... the more money we're going to save in the long run," he said. Pharmacists will be paid $7.50 per injection, which is provided to patients free, but they will not receive payment for refilling prescriptions. Health Minister Deb Matthews said 600 of Ontario s 3,500 pharmacies would provide the service this fall and winter with the program expanding in the years ahead. To that end, pharmacists would also be able to provide up to six-month renewals of prescriptions for all non-narcotic medications. "This is the start of rebuilding that foundation, because it was very hard for a lot of pharmacy owners to continu...

Would you pay $60 for a large coffee at Tim Mortons? How about $500,000 for a Toyota Corolla? You probably wouldn't, but consider this: compared to other countries, this is how inflated Canadian prices are for some generic prescription drugs. That our generic drug prices are high is no great secret, and recently nearly every provincial government has taken steps to lower prices. However, instead of leveraging competition to get lower pricing, thus far our governments have stuck to their old — and arbitrary — formula of paying a percentage of the equivalent brand name price. Ontario has gone the furthest and reduced prices to 25 per cent of the equivalent brand name drug. This week the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at the University of British Columbia published a paper where I demonstrate that Ontario pays nearly a quarter of a billion dollars more every year for the top 100 generic drugs compared to prices in other countries. Since Ontario has the lowest prices in...

The association representing Ontario's 25,000 doctors and Health Minister are talking again, finally. Thafs a good thing for health care in this province. Ontarians will never have easy access to a strong and sustainable health care system unless doctors are active players  working with the government  in the hunt for innovative ways to provide better care, at lower cost. Yet the purpose of resumed negotiations should not be to find system efficiencies simply to fund an increase in the $11 billion Ontario currently pays doctors . Their total billings have risen 75 per cent since 2003.  Health care already consumes 42 cents of every Health Provincial Program dollar.  The Province's doctors have  cannot be allowed to continue contract negotiations or it will undermine every other service Ontarians rely on. Going forward, the key to providing the improved system that Ontarians want at a price taxpayers can afford is to make sure that patients get the right care,...

Did you know that if you need to see a doctor in Florida, you could be handed a bill for $1,200? For Ontario Residents --- OHIP would pay $50.12 of it — the price of the visit if it had happened in Ontario. An overnight stay in hospital could cost $10,000 in the U.S. OHIP would pay $400 if you were in a cardiac ward or ICU. A good reason to buy travel insurance. But even extra coverage won't help if it's decided what ails you is a 'pre-existing' condition. ********************************************* Find out how to wade through the various policies available and choose exactly what is best for your situation. #1: Coverage Is More Important Than Price You will likely pay a premium for good quality coverage that meets your specific needs.  It helps to compare rates and you might even ask your insurance company if they will match competitor’s rates, but always consider the coverage levels and compare policies on an even playing field.  Be aware of the coverage that you n...

Dr.s MIKE ROIZEN and DR. MEHMET OZ Spice up your life — and live longer What do spicy Indian curry, zesty Italian pesto, refreshing Spanish gazpacho, Mexico's chocolate-rich mole sauce and other ethnic specialties have in common? They'll all get your taste buds dancing. But we're pleased to tell you that they do a lot more than that.Tasty ethnic culinary allstars like these deliver a heap of phytonu-trients that make you younger by protecting against cancer, heart disease, high blood sugar, dementia and more. What are phytonutrients? They're compounds found naturally in fruits and vegetables ("phy-to" is the Greek word for plant), and some research suggests there maybe 10,000 phytochemicals in nature that could help protect against those aforementioned diseases. That's an excellent reason to visit the ethnic street fairs going on in most cities across North America at this time of year and make liberal and creative use of the herbs and spices hiding in you...

Ontario's surplus power giveaways could be nearing end The days when customers in New York or Quebec get paid to use Ontario electricity may be drawing to a close. The Independent Electricity System Operator will consider halting the practice when its board meets next week should save Ontario electricity ratepayers — who now collectively pick up the bill for the payments — about $10 million a year. While out-of-province customers will no longer enjoy the "negative prices," big industrial customers inside Ontario would still be able to use the better-than-free power when it's available. "This rule would eliminate those negative price exports, so in essence you're not paying someone else to use your power. Paying customers to use power sometimes happens when Ontario Has surplus power.Nuclear power plants and some of the big hydro-electric stations tend to churn out the same amount of power all the time, no matter how low demand falls. The market price can colla...

 Apr. 27, 2012 – Say the word “tax” and most Canadians roll their eyes in dismay. But with the deadline for filing our income tax returns around the corner, we’re forced to temporarily think about taxes. The deadline, after all, is a sharp reminder of how much income tax we paid throughout the year. While some gladly pay their share – thinking of the numerous government programs these tax dollars finance – others feel their income tax burden is too high. No matter where you fall in this debate, to truly gauge whether you’re getting value for your tax dollars, you must have a complete understanding of all the taxes you pay – in addition to income taxes. Income taxes only the beginning.For that, you must look beyond your income tax returns because income taxes form only a portion of the total tax bill imposed on us by all levels of government (federal, provincial, and local). In 2011, a Canadian family with average income of $74,233 paid $9,137 in income taxes. Personal income taxes ...

As a country, we provide universal access to medically necessary hospital care, diagnostic tests and physician services based solely on need. If s a point of national pride. But Canadian "medicare" — as it is affectionately known — ends as soon as a patient is given a prescription to fill. Provincial drug plans cover only limited populations, such as seniors or social assistance recipients, or limited costs (such as costs exceeding "catastrophic" deductibles). Private drug insurance is a perk not easily obtained by Canadians who are retired, self-employed or employees of small companies.when the asthma gets out of control. Canada's health insurance system was developed in stages, starting with the components of health care that were the most important at the time. Coverage for hospital care and diagnostic tests was established in the 1950s, followed by coverage for medical care in the 1960s. The fathers of our medicare system intended that pharmacare and home-ca...

Under the most likely current budget scenario, Medicare spending for the typical 66-year-old would rise to $9,600 in 2030, or about 75 percent more than now, the Congressional Budjet Office projected. But under Ryan's plan, spending would rise more slowly to $7,400, or about 35 percent more than current levels. That difference would result in a cost shift of thousands of dollars to individual retirees, critics say. Under the previous version of Ryan's plan, a typical 65-year-old retiree would have been responsible for about two-thirds of his or her health care costs in 2030, according to the budget office. That translates to a cost increase of $6,350 a year, says the Obama campaign. Ryan's proposal for turning Medicaid into a block grants program for the states would also have far-reaching consequences. It sharply reduces the future size of the program relative to the overall economy, the CBO said.

OHIP- And Out Of Country Health Services In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that Canadian governments  federal and provincial — had created a "virtual monopoly" over health care. That monopoly, the court further ruled, had proven itself incapable of providing timely care to many patients. Even so, governments had made it illegal for Canadians to pay for treatment on their own when the government monopoly could not or would not provide it. That was putting Canadians' lives at risk with no possibility of escape, which the court determined 6-1 was a violation of our Charter rights. Unfortunately, because the Chaoulli challenge was brought only against Quebec's health care law, the court's decision applied only in Quebec. For it to apply across the country, it may be necessary to bring similar challenges in every province. The Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has decided to start with Alberta. Both Allen and Cross (the two patients who will serve...

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney outlined his plan to reduce health benefits for refugees. Earlier this month, all refugee claimants — except for government-sponsored refugees, such as those who arrive in Canada as permanent residents — lost federally funded supplemental health benefits for prescription drugs, dental work, vision care and medical devices, such as walkers and wheelchairs. Those refugees who are rejected after exhausting all appeals are also no longer eligible for free health care of any kind, unless their conditions pose a risk to public health or safety, such as infectious diseases like tuberculosis and HIV. When the Conservative government eventually comes up with its list of designated "safe" countries, refugee claimants hailing from nations on that list will face the same restrictions as rejected claimants. The changes are expected to save the federal government $100 million over five years. Doctors have been protesting the cuts by interrupting m...

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's decision to uphold most of President Barack Obama's health care law will come home to roost for most taxpayers in about 2 1/2 years, when they'll have to start providing proof on their  tax returns that they have health insurance. Under the law, the IRS will provide tax breaks and incentives to help pay for health insurance  and impose penalties on some people who don't buy coverage and on some businesses  that don't offer it to employees. Those who don't get qualified health insurance  will be required to pay the penalty — or tax — starting for the 2014 tax year, unless they are  exempt because of low income, religious beliefs, or because they are members of American Indian tribes. The law allows the IRS to withhold tax refunds  to collect the penalty, and most filers get refunds.  This year, 77 percent of the 135 million individual  income tax returns processed by the IRS qualified for a refund. The average refun...

By a single vote, President Barack Obama's health care overhaul survived a painstaking Supreme Court review that consumed thousands of pages in legal filings and an extraordinary six hours-plus of oral argument time back in March. In the end, the court upheld the law, with a minor change, and dashed Republican hopes of bringing down what conservatives deride as "Obamacare" on constitutional grounds. The outcome surprised many who thought tough questions from the conservative justices during the arguments foreshadowed the demise of the far-reaching legislation. The decision leaves a trail of winners and losers, from Main Street, USA , to the very steps of the Supreme Court. For some, it's a mixed bag. Here's a look: WINNERS Casey Quinlan, a 59-year-old breast cancer survivor who lives near Richmond , Va. , and millions of other uninsured people. Starting in October 2013, the uninsured will be able to sign up for taxpayer subsidized coverage either through private ...

The mineral rich Ring of Fire is Ontario's "oilsands" and the province should take a page out of Alberta's playbook by developing it quickly. The remote Ring of Fire area, located nearly 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, it is said to hold more than a $30 BILLION haul of chromite — the key material used to make stainless steel "In many ways, the Ring of Fire is Ontario's oilsands — an enormous wealth beneath the earth that can break open a new frontier for job creation and investment in Ontario. Sometimes we look (with) wonder and awe at what Alberta can do; we can do that in Ontario and we can do that with the Ring of Fire. Mining it  creates an open pit mine and a transportation corridor to be built through one of the last intact boreal forests. Most people have no idea what the Ring of Fire or chromite is but everybody knows what the oilsands and potash is, "We have our own oilsands, our own potash potential in the far north. It is a treasure c...

We cruised through this week's record-breaking temperatures with only minor glitches. And while the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty would like you to believe it's their energy policy that's saved us, in fact it's their economic development plan — or lack thereof— that's freed up massive amounts of electricity. Ontario has lost almost half a million manufacturing jobs since McGuinty came to power, so we just don't need the same kind of generation we once did. Worse, they were in industries, such as auto companies, that provided good, high-paying jobs that had a multiplier effect in their communities. The bad news is, GM recently announced it was shutting another line in Oshawa — despite the $10-billion bailout the federal and provincial governments gave it in 2009. The good news is it will free up even more electricity so the government can brag about its conservation policies. Thursday's peak power demand was 24,000 megawatts at 5 p.m. On a similar day...

Denial of OHIP help for the little boy with sight problems is going to be paid for by a Alberta Frim. Geez talk about good PR for this firm. A brick to OHIP and The rich Ontario Firm's who did not lift a finger, a bouqet for the generous Alberta Firm. McGuinty's ear's must be glowing red,but he saved the Ontario taxpayers about $45,000 -Way to go Dalton.

This week's decision to let Canada into talks for a new Pacific free trade pact. Canada already has free trade agreements with four nations taking part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks — Mexico, Peru, Chile and the crucially important United States. The remaining six—Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and Brunei — aren't giants of the world economy. We could probably survive quite well without, say, a Canada-Vietnam free trade deal What is important about the proposed Trans-Pacific pact, however, is that it may end up becoming the world's premier trade arrangement,but since 2001, the WTO has been mired in a grinding dispute over agricultural subsidies and manufacturing tariffs. Meanwhile, Canada responded to the WTO  deadlock by negotiating a dizzying array of bilateral trade pacts with countries ranging from Israel to Colombia The trend accelerated under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who opened free trade talks with Japan and the European Union. Fo...

The Eraser Institute — the Vancouver think tank that calculates the date each year when the typical Canadian stops working for governments and starts working for him- or herself — figures in 2012 the average Canadian family will earn $94,259 in income and pay a total of $41,627 in taxes, or 44.2%. That means they will work until June 10 to discharge their obligation to government. Then beginning June 11 they can start earning the money they need to put a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food on the table. Taxes now consume more of a family's budget than food, clothing and shelter combined. This is better than it was under the former Liberal government. In 2000, while Jean Chretien was prime minister, Tax Freedom Day fell on June 25 — a full two weeks later than this year — the latest TFD in Canadian history. Still, this year's TFD of June 11 is more than six weeks later than it was in 1961, the first year for which Fraser has done detailed calculations. Canadia...

Family begs Ontario Health minister to intervene after OHIP refuses to pick up tab for surgery in U.S. Liarn Reid needs eye surgery to save him from blindness but the Ontario government is refusing to pick up the cost of the procedure. The Whitby boy, nearly 3, has a retinal condition known as Nome 's disease. Without surgery, he'll lose his vision by the time he's 4. But with no qualified surgeons able to treat Reid in Ontario , the Reid family said they have no choice but to seek treatment in Michigan . However, they have been refused coverage by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan multiple times. The Reids came to Queen's Park Thursday to try to persuade Health Minister Deb Matthews to intervene. Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott, the health critic, brought up Reid's condition during question period: "Minister, Liam needs your help. There are no specialists in Ontario who are able to treat this child .... The appeals process — you know or shoul...

More for Southern Ontario but Northern Ontario Pays for it. Premier Dalton McGuinty of Ontario knows where his bread is buttered.. At this rate he's going to be able to build his own wall. The latest is for his comment at the official announcement the province is dumping $1 billion (that's with a B) into an expansion of Highway 407. "The people of Southern Ontario will own this highway," McGuinty said. It's another example of how putting money into Northern Ontario is an expense, while putting money in the south is an investment. Grits created money crisis in health care. McGuinty's government has been chronically unable to rein in public-sector pay increases.The pay freeze the government announced in 2010 is a sham. Now the government is gearing up for its biggest battle — with the province's doctors. While Health Minister Deb Matthews repeats the mantra that the average doctor makes $350,000, the obvious response is why are the Liberals surprised? They...

Hi All, I hope this will help accessing posts that you are interested in. For fast access click on links  listed just to your right. If Fonts are too small - here is a trick to enlarge them. Select Ctrl Key on keyboard - then rotate your mouse wheel to enlarge the fonts. Works well on Web Pages also. Cheers.PeterL

Sudbury has the only Cancer radiation treatment in the North. NB is only 90 miles from Sudbury so it's not a great imposition to drive there for treatments. On the other hand if you live in Timmins,KL, Kap, well that's another story. That's why transportation is so important. I had to go to Sudbury for 10 radiation treatments, on a daily basis,or stay there for 12 days. We took the driving option. Fortunately they have a TV hookup at the local Hospital that the Oncologist could check me out after a couple of follow up trips to Sudbury.Ontario has a total of 5 for the whole Province. Mississauga,Barrie, Sault,Sudbury,Ottawa. No plans for anymore. My Mum always said make your stay in the Hospital as short as possible the places are full of disease. Outbreaks of new, bacterial strains of  super bugs: those infectious organisms that make patients sick, and may even cause death. They are called super bugs because it's very difficult to kill them with existing drugs, meaning,...

Here are a few facts and figures to help differentiate between the different countries Health System Costs .

Do we regret leaving all this nice clean snow You Bet We Do NOT

Let’s deal with the provincial rules first. All provinces, except Ontario and Newfoundland, require you to actually live in your home province for at least six months plus a day (183 days in most years) in order to be considered a permanent resident of that province, and therefore qualified for provincial health insurance (medicare) benefits. Ontario allows you to be out of the country for 212 days (seven months) and Newfoundland for eight months without risking loss of your medicare benefits. If you stay out of your province longer than that, you risk losing your “residency” and with it your medicare benefits, and you will then have to re-instate your eligibility by living in your province for three straight months (without leaving) before you get those benefits back. And you will have to be able to prove that you have complied. If you overstay that six-month allowance and are seen to be doing so by border agents you will likely be put on a restricted list and denied entry to the U.S....