Victory! Health Minister orders hospitals to strictly limit bed charges

Following furors in Windsor and Toronto, Health Minister, Deb Matthews has told hospitals not to charge patients waiting for a long term care bed more than $53.23 a day. That's a lot less than the $1,800 a day that some wanted to charge, to help reduce hospital bed occupancy.

“It is completely inappropriate and unacceptable for any individual in this province in a hospital waiting for long-term care to be charged more than $53.23 per day,” Matthews told the legislature Tuesday.

These special charges have been around (and complained about) for some time, as jammed-up hospitals have felt increasing pressure to boot out patients. So it's good to see the Ministers has finally felt compelled to do some thing about it. Bed occupancy does need to be reduced -- but not by undermining medicare.

This is a good day for public health care.

dallan@cupe.ca

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