Please see below regarding an important notice which has implications
for Ontario residents; another example of cut-backs affecting the poor
in Ontario.
The following is a press release from the Ontario Public Service
Employees Union:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 13, 2005 

Trillium privatization to put health and financial records in the hands
of private operators 

TORONTO - Employees of a private corporation will soon have access to
the health and financial records of over 200,000 Ontarians under a plan
to privatize a key prescription drug program. 

The McGuinty government announced Nov. 14 that it will privatize the
Trillium Drug Program. The program subsidizes prescription drugs for
people who face extreme drug costs related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, heart
disease, and other serious ailments. 

"This privatization puts personal health record and income tax
information in the hands of employees of a private corporation," said
David Rapaport, an Executive Board Member of the Ontario Public Service
Employees Union (OPSEU). "These employees, who are not accountable to
the people of Ontario, will be making decisions on who gets life-saving
drugs and who doesn't. 

"After the revelations in the last report of the Auditor General, it
should be obvious that this is a very bad idea." 

In his report Dec. 6, Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter revealed
widespread problems with the network of private operators who issue
driver and vehicle licences in the province. 

"The record of privatization is a record of lax security, poor
accountability, low quality service, and inflated costs," said
Rapaport. "Our union will be working closely with users of the
Trillium Drug Program to make sure it stays in public hands." 

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has set a date of June 30,
2006 to hand the program over to a private operator. 

- 30 - 

For more information: David Rapaport (416) 452-9927

   

Ontario Public Service Employees Union, 100 Lesmill Rd. Toronto, ON M3B
3P8  (416) 443-8888  www.opseu.org 
 



____________________________________
Rachel Rapaport Beck
Research and Policy Associate
Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence
56 The Promenade, Winnipeg MB R3B 3H9
(t) 204-982-6632
(f) 204-982-6637
www.pwhce.ca

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