[homeles_ot-l] OHIP for ALL Campaign information - how you can help

[JP Thompson]

Please see the message below on behalf of Dr. Conchita Fonseca, family physician at Pinecrest-Queensway CHC.

In Ottawa, the OHIP for All Rally is on Tuesday June 28th at the Human Rights Monument on Elgin/ Lisgar.


Please pass the information below on to your own networks so this important campaign keeps building support.


Hello all!

I am contacting you to let you know about an initiative I have been involved with over the past year and asking for your support. On June 28, a group of health providers, students, community organizations, community members and allies will be launching a campaign to call on Ontario to provide healthcare to all people in Ontario, regardless of immigration status.

In 2011, Maki Ueyama and her husband received a $22,000 bill after the birth of their twins because they were born several months premature, during the 3-month waiting period for OHIP. More recently, Duncan McCorkell was diagnosed with colon cancer, denied lifesaving treatment and subsequently died as a result of his illness in Toronto. An estimated 200,000 people find themselves in this position in our province due to being new immigrants, temporary foreign workers, international students, pending humanitarian claims, pending inland sponsorship, being nonstatus or being a returning Canadian citizen. This story is not unique - we know many others across Ontario have delayed seeking healthcare, others have been denied care, been asked for cash upfront, and received massive bills as a result.

In Canada, we believe we have a universal healthcare system. In reality though, over 200,000 people in Ontario are denied healthcare coverage because of their immigration status. Many children, adults, and seniors have been denied care in emergency rooms, have been asked for thousands of dollars upfront for healthcare, have received massive bills, or have foregone healthcare altogether when they needed it. People have died as a result of our system in Ontario that denies care to people who need it.

We can stop unnecessary and high cost health complications. We can stop denying sick people care. We can create the society we all want to live in by providing healthcare for all people living in Ontario, regardless of their immigration status.

Hi Julie,



The OHIP for All Campaign is a collaboration of health care workers, students, social service providers, migrants, and community members. It is endorsed by Toronto Public Health, The Association of Ontario Midwives, The Association of Ontario Health Centres (representing Ontario's 74 Community Health Centres, 11 Community Family Health Teams, 10 Aboriginal Health Access Centres, and 13 NP-Led Clinics), and the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (representing 231 agencies across Ontario).



I am co-organizing the Ottawa rally/campaign and so far we have Pinecrest Queensway CHC, Somerset West CHC and Matthew House officially endorsing the campaign and we are waiting to hear back from other Ottawa area organizations as we just started reaching out to community groups.





The OHIP for All campaign has already been strongly endorsed by various health care and social service organizations<http://ohipforall.ca/gallery/org-endorsements/>. Please join us in calling on the Province of Ontario to provide care for everyone who lives in our community. Here’s how you can help:



1.    Attend a Rally near you on Tuesday June 28th from 12-1PM:
OTTAWA<https://www.facebook.com/events/1551286575177569/> - at the Human Rights Monument on Elgin St. at Lisgar St.





Other cities:
TORONTO<https://www.facebook.com/events/113034542451606/> - 900 Bay St., in front of the Ministry of Health
HAMILTON<https://www.facebook.com/events/113676495725021/> - 71 Main St. W., in front of Hamilton City Hall
MISSISSAUGA<https://www.facebook.com/events/1778965805655544/> - 300 City Centre Dr., at Mississauga Celebration Square
LONDON<https://www.facebook.com/events/260471484313772/> - the northwest corner of Victoria Park, at Richmond St. and Central Ave.
KITCHENER<https://www.facebook.com/events/1035643649849685/> - 200 King St. W, in front of Kitchener City Hall
PETERBOROUGH <https://www.facebook.com/events/1568962990064078/> - Corner of George St. & Simcoe St.

2.    Sign onto our Thunderclap Campaign by clicking here<http://thndr.me/0bcufQ>.

3.    Follow our Twitter<https://twitter.com/ohipforall> and Facebook page<https://www.facebook.com/OHIPforALL/> and share our posts.

4.    Change your Facebook/Twitter profile picture and Facebook banner images. They can be found here<https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7D_2fA_22-zeU91ckQwYjdnbVE>.

5.    Forward this message<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qlnGtQOeiLroLmfUYvqatW1VkrNh80eOWvyTUPdgZA0/edit> broadly to any other listservs/Facebook groups you have access to. We want to get the message out as far and wide as we can!

6.    Sign our Open Letter at: http://ohipforall.ca/open-letter-ohipforall/ as an individual and/or ask your organization to endorse it officially.





Please watch and share Miguel's story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxhDEe6rqec



For more information, visit our website at www.ohipforall.ca<http://www.ohipforall.ca/>.


Thank you,

Conchita Fonseca
MD, CCFP-EM, Ohip For All member and co-organizer of the Ottawa rally, along with Sareda Quah-Vo form Somerset West CHC
Sareda's email: squad at swchc.on.ca<mailto:squad at swchc.on.ca>
Conchita email: email.conchita at gmail.com<mailto:email.conchita at gmail.com> (NOTE the word email is part of my email address!)

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