Untitled Document

Dear Bird Talk:

I’m a Canadian snowbird that owns a condo in the Broward County (Pompano Beach) in Florida. My property taxes, and those of other snowbirds, Canadian or Americans, will go up from 19% to 53% while that of the Homesteaders will not rise above 3% while having always enjoyed an ongoing rate of 75% less than northern folks.

I find this discriminating on the part of Broward County since we (snowbirds) spend as much if not more in the 3 to 6 months that are there than locals spend year round. May I add that in the property taxes we pay for services that are not rendered to us, such as public schools, North Broward Hospital, etc. etc.

Mr. Sidney Margles this week wrote a very appropriate letter to the editor of the Montreal Gazette which I would like to share with you: He states as follows...

"Taxation without representation is alive and well in Broward County, Fla. where ‘seasonal’ property owners are expected to be hammered next month.

Significantly higher property valuations have been declared by the county assessor. Unless the tax rate is reduced by local county authorities, which is highly unlikely, a tax increase of up to 53% is expected.

The source of the problem is the Florida State Homesteaders exemption, which caps any real estate tax hike to three (3%) per annum. To make up for the shortfall, northerners who own vacation property in Florida pay more than their share.

As non-homesteaders cannot vote in Florida, local politicians can virtually do as they please. They say we can appeal by showing up at public hearings in September, but such a trip would cost an individual more than the potential tax saving.

For those readers that have condos in South Florida, I would urge them to write to their local and county commissioners. The alternative is to spend less in tourist-driven Florida.”

As a Florida property owner I agree totally with Mr. Margles I encourage all members of the Canadian Snowbird Association to write to their local and County commissioner and voice their concerns.

Frank Iacovella

Ed: Good advice, Frank. We have addressed this issue with Governor Jeb Bush himself and he has empowered a sub-committee to research this issue as it applies to the entire state of Florida. Unfortunately, our lack of representation doesn’t give us the voting power to change the law and your neighbors are unlikely to vote for a property tax decrease for you at their expense. Not a lot of room to move here. In the meantime, let’s put some pressure on the local council; we have listed below the names of the County Commissioners for Broward County and their contact information:

Ilene Lieberman ---------District 1
Kristin D. Jacobs --------District 2
Ben Graber-------------- District 3 – Mayor
Jim Scott-----------------District 4
Lois Wexler-------------- District 5
Sue Gunzburger-------- District 6
John E. Rodstrom------Jr. District 7
Diana Wasserman-------Rubin District 8
Josephus Eggelletion--- Jr. District 9 , Vice Mayor

Broward County Commission
Commission Offices
115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 421
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
954-357-7000
www.broward.org/countygov
Enjoy!

Dear Bird Talk,

The article in your magazine, #59 By Dr. Bob MacMillan was interesting and while the author seems to have a handle on the medical system in Toronto, Ontario, he doesn’t have much knowledge about Atlantic Canada, or at least Nova Scotia. We don’t have Private Clinics here and the wait times to see a doctor, let alone a Surgeon or Specialist, are unacceptable. Good doctors have a patient load of about 1000 and this is more than twice as many as the average for the 30 countries that make up the OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] group. In fact the average number of doctors per 1000 people in the OECD countries is 3.1. Canada is down the list at #27 out of the 30 countries. Just close to a disgrace. Check it out on the Internet and get disgusted. We have 2.1 doctors per 1000.

Politicians have failed miserably in recent years and whatever we think, the truth is “Don’t get sick”. A little honesty will tell us that the huge amount of tax dollars that started out to pay for Tommy Douglas’ health plan has now been diverted to General Revenue by both levels of Government and is used for other purposes. We have not had Politicians that will put Health Care on the front burner. The system has been studied to death at huge expense,“waste”. It really is quite simple; we need more Doctors and Nurses. Why is that hard to understand?

My wife and I volunteer at the local hospital and the one in Zephyrhills, Florida. What outstanding doctors, nurses, and diagnostic people work there? At both hospitals they are caring, competent, and top notch people. The doctors, especially, work under great pressure and can only deal with life threatening cases. Our system is in a mess and getting worse.

Please use your influence, and ask your readers to expect a lot more from their employees called Politicians. The matter should get on the front page and get action, not more studies. Let’s work together.

Yours very truly,
G. Morse

ED: You are absolutely right! Our tax dollars should be spent on doctors, nurses, equipment, facilities and access, not on studies that confirm we need them and an overwhelming bureaucracy. 2.1 doctors per 1000 people is a travesty, and that really means that 300 people have a doctor and 700 people have none. We are one of the most civilized countries in the world but we cannot get medical treatment when we need it. We, and the CSA, want measured medical outcomes and measured waiting times, not fuzzy promises. It is called “accountability”. Another problem I personally encountered in Nova Scotia was the reluctance to operate on older people. Almost every study on heart operations indicates that the best outcomes and the“most increased quality of life” is found in older patients. We have a lot of work to do.

Dear Bird Talk,

I am concerned about Medipac travel insurance. The policy on page 2 states as follows:

“You or someone on Your behalf (if you are unable to do so) MUST call Medipac Assist BEFORE You seek Medical Treatment.”

If my wife or I suddenly had an emergency, such as on of us collapsing, we would want to call 911 immediately. But the policy says that we must call Medipac Assist first! This could be a life threatening situation and such a time delay is not acceptable.

I do not wish to have such a policy requirement in my travel insurance.I think that the CSA should start providing its members with a more balanced assessment of all the major health insurance plans that are available, as well as just Medipac.

Gordon Ford

ED: The first thing to do in any medical emergency is to call 911. Hopefully this will work in the area in which you are travelling. If not, Medipac Assist will find you an ambulance and/or a facility to address your problem. The Medipac policy requires that you call before seeking medical treatment. This “medical treatment” is defined in the policy as“prescribed by a physician” and does not apply to getting to the hospital or to the doctor. This clause is there for two reasons. The first is to prevent people from jumping the wait list in Canada and going to the U.S. to get treatment on the insurance companies “nickel”; the second is to prevent extensive and unnecessary testing and sometimes even an unnecessary operation. As you are probably aware, the U.S. health-care system is somewhat predatory when it comes to billing for tests and other procedures. Part of Medipac Assist’s job is to prevent abuse in these areas.

This clause is in every policy that I have read, which includes most of the insurance providers.

So, now I want you to read any other insurance policy. You may have trouble finding one, though. Is it not strange, that of the seven Early Bird plans in the market this year, Medipac is the only one to send you a policy. Medipac’s policy says that only 75% of covered charges will be paid, if we are not notified in advance. (This is of course waived [by Medipac] if you were unconscious or unable to call). Almost all other policies

DENY your claim or limit payment to $10-25,000. Not much use for a $400,000 hospital bill. I believe our clause is one of the most generous in the insurance industry.

CSA could never compare every policy, and every clause, and every plan, and every assistance company, and every price, and every attitude to payment of a claim, in every year. Most companies change their plans every year, and effective, hard hitting advice and comments would likely be construed as slander.

At Medipac, we are very passionate about our business. We care about our clients and we try to educate them to avoid the pitfalls of poor travel insurance. We see almost 100,000 snowbirds face-to-face at our many meetings in the US and Canada who tell us what they think in public. Although I am obviously very biased, I believe that Medipac is the only insurance policy you should buy, even at twice the price of other company’s plans. Fortunately, our prices are among the best. Hope this helps and thank you for writing.

	Dear Bird Talk: I’m a Canadian snowbird that owns a condo in the Broward County (Pompano Beach) in Florida. My property taxes, and those of other snowbirds, Canadian or Americans, will go up from 19% to 53% while that of the Homesteaders will not rise above 3% while having always enjoyed an ongoing rate of 75% less than northern folks. I find this discriminating on the part of Broward County since we (snowbirds) spend as much if not more in the 3 to 6 months that are there than locals spend year round. May I add that in the property taxes we pay for services that are not rendered to us, such as public schools, North Broward Hospital, etc. etc. Mr. Sidney Margles this week wrote a very appropriate letter to the editor of the Montreal Gazette which I would like to share with you: He states as follows... "Taxation without representation is alive and well in Broward County, Fla. where ‘seasonal’ property owners are expected to be hammered next month. Significantly higher property valuations have been declared by the county assessor. Unless the tax rate is reduced by local county authorities, which is highly unlikely, a tax increase of up to 53% is expected. The source of the problem is the Florida State Homesteaders exemption, which caps any real estate tax hike to three (3%) per annum. To make up for the shortfall, northerners who own vacation property in Florida pay more than their share. As non-homesteaders cannot vote in Florida, local politicians can virtually do as they please. They say we can appeal by showing up at public hearings in September, but such a trip would cost an individual more than the potential tax saving. For those readers that have condos in South Florida, I would urge them to write to their local and county commissioners. The alternative is to spend less in tourist-driven Florida.” As a Florida property owner I agree totally with Mr. Margles I encourage all members of the Canadian Snowbird Association to write to their local and County commissioner and voice their concerns. Frank Iacovella Ed: Good advice, Frank. We have addressed this issue with Governor Jeb Bush himself and he has empowered a sub-committee to research this issue as it applies to the entire state of Florida. Unfortunately, our lack of representation doesn’t give us the voting power to change the law and your neighbors are unlikely to vote for a property tax decrease for you at their expense. Not a lot of room to move here. In the meantime, let’s put some pressure on the local council; we have listed below the names of the County Commissioners for Broward County and their contact information: Ilene Lieberman ---------District 1 Kristin D. Jacobs --------District 2 Ben Graber-------------- District 3 – Mayor Jim Scott-----------------District 4 Lois Wexler-------------- District 5 Sue Gunzburger-------- District 6 John E. Rodstrom------Jr. District 7 Diana Wasserman-------Rubin District 8 Josephus Eggelletion--- Jr. District 9 , Vice Mayor Broward County Commission Commission Offices 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 421 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 954-357-7000 www.broward.org/countygov Enjoy!

	Dear Bird Talk, The article in your magazine, #59 By Dr. Bob MacMillan was interesting and while the author seems to have a handle on the medical system in Toronto, Ontario, he doesn’t have much knowledge about Atlantic Canada, or at least Nova Scotia. We don’t have Private Clinics here and the wait times to see a doctor, let alone a Surgeon or Specialist, are unacceptable. Good doctors have a patient load of about 1000 and this is more than twice as many as the average for the 30 countries that make up the OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] group. In fact the average number of doctors per 1000 people in the OECD countries is 3.1. Canada is down the list at #27 out of the 30 countries. Just close to a disgrace. Check it out on the Internet and get disgusted. We have 2.1 doctors per 1000. Politicians have failed miserably in recent years and whatever we think, the truth is “Don’t get sick”. A little honesty will tell us that the huge amount of tax dollars that started out to pay for Tommy Douglas’ health plan has now been diverted to General Revenue by both levels of Government and is used for other purposes. We have not had Politicians that will put Health Care on the front burner. The system has been studied to death at huge expense,“waste”. It really is quite simple; we need more Doctors and Nurses. Why is that hard to understand? My wife and I volunteer at the local hospital and the one in Zephyrhills, Florida. What outstanding doctors, nurses, and diagnostic people work there? At both hospitals they are caring, competent, and top notch people. The doctors, especially, work under great pressure and can only deal with life threatening cases. Our system is in a mess and getting worse. Please use your influence, and ask your readers to expect a lot more from their employees called Politicians. The matter should get on the front page and get action, not more studies. Let’s work together. Yours very truly, G. Morse ED: You are absolutely right! Our tax dollars should be spent on doctors, nurses, equipment, facilities and access, not on studies that confirm we need them and an overwhelming bureaucracy. 2.1 doctors per 1000 people is a travesty, and that really means that 300 people have a doctor and 700 people have none. We are one of the most civilized countries in the world but we cannot get medical treatment when we need it. We, and the CSA, want measured medical outcomes and measured waiting times, not fuzzy promises. It is called “accountability”. Another problem I personally encountered in Nova Scotia was the reluctance to operate on older people. Almost every study on heart operations indicates that the best outcomes and the“most increased quality of life” is found in older patients. We have a lot of work to do.

	Dear Bird Talk, I am concerned about Medipac travel insurance. The policy on page 2 states as follows: “You or someone on Your behalf (if you are unable to do so) MUST call Medipac Assist BEFORE You seek Medical Treatment.” If my wife or I suddenly had an emergency, such as on of us collapsing, we would want to call 911 immediately. But the policy says that we must call Medipac Assist first! This could be a life threatening situation and such a time delay is not acceptable. I do not wish to have such a policy requirement in my travel insurance.I think that the CSA should start providing its members with a more balanced assessment of all the major health insurance plans that are available, as well as just Medipac. Gordon Ford ED: The first thing to do in any medical emergency is to call 911. Hopefully this will work in the area in which you are travelling. If not, Medipac Assist will find you an ambulance and/or a facility to address your problem. The Medipac policy requires that you call before seeking medical treatment. This “medical treatment” is defined in the policy as“prescribed by a physician” and does not apply to getting to the hospital or to the doctor. This clause is there for two reasons. The first is to prevent people from jumping the wait list in Canada and going to the U.S. to get treatment on the insurance companies “nickel”; the second is to prevent extensive and unnecessary testing and sometimes even an unnecessary operation. As you are probably aware, the U.S. health-care system is somewhat predatory when it comes to billing for tests and other procedures. Part of Medipac Assist’s job is to prevent abuse in these areas. This clause is in every policy that I have read, which includes most of the insurance providers. So, now I want you to read any other insurance policy. You may have trouble finding one, though. Is it not strange, that of the seven Early Bird plans in the market this year, Medipac is the only one to send you a policy. Medipac’s policy says that only 75% of covered charges will be paid, if we are not notified in advance. (This is of course waived [by Medipac] if you were unconscious or unable to call). Almost all other policies DENY your claim or limit payment to $10-25,000. Not much use for a $400,000 hospital bill. I believe our clause is one of the most generous in the insurance industry. CSA could never compare every policy, and every clause, and every plan, and every assistance company, and every price, and every attitude to payment of a claim, in every year. Most companies change their plans every year, and effective, hard hitting advice and comments would likely be construed as slander. At Medipac, we are very passionate about our business. We care about our clients and we try to educate them to avoid the pitfalls of poor travel insurance. We see almost 100,000 snowbirds face-to-face at our many meetings in the US and Canada who tell us what they think in public. Although I am obviously very biased, I believe that Medipac is the only insurance policy you should buy, even at twice the price of other company’s plans. Fortunately, our prices are among the best. Hope this helps and thank you for writing.