Dear Snowbirds,
On September 23rd, we notified members of our legal challenge victory against the Ontario Government and the illegal termination of OHIP’s Out-of-Country Travellers Program, which provided emergency out-of-country insurance coverage for Ontario residents. In a unanimous decision, the Ontario Divisional Court struck down part of Ontario Regulation 259 which terminated the reimbursement program.
Today, we are pleased to inform members that the Ontario Government has abandoned their leave to appeal application, meaning that the ruling of the Divisional Court will be final. The Divisional Court’s ruling reinstated OHIP’s Out-of-Country Travellers Program as it existed prior to January 1, 2020. This means that coverage for Ontarians travelling abroad has been restored to the previous levels of $200 to $400 per day for emergency inpatient services and up to $50 per day for emergency outpatient services. The reinstatement of this program puts Ontario back in line with every other province and territory in the country which provides this coverage as is required under the Canada Health Act.
Once again, we would like to thank our members for their support and generosity. The donations we received to our Special Action Fund, from across Canada, were critical to this legal challenge and this win would not be possible without them.
Sincerely,
The Canadian Snowbird Association
