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1. POVERTY
ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE – COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL PROGRAM COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS LIÉES À LA
PAUVRETÉ – PROGRAMME COMPLET DE SOINS DENTAIRES |
Committee recommendation as amended
That Council endorse the Toronto Oral
Health Coalition (TOHC
) campaign and direct the Health Department of People Services to liase with
the Chair of TOHC, Dr. Hazel Stewart, Director of Oral Health for the City of
Toronto, to explore avenues of collaboration to advance this initiative based
on provincial funding sources.
Recommandation modifiÉe du Comité
Que le Conseil municipal souscrive à la
campagne de la Toronto Oral Health Coalition (TOHC) et qu’il demande au Service
de la santé des Services aux citoyens d’assurer la liaison avec la présidente de
la TOHC, Dr Hazel Stewart, directrice de la santé bucco-dentaire de la Ville de
Toronto, afin d’examiner les possibilités de collaboration visant à prendre
l’initiative en fonction des sources de financements de la province.
Documentation
1.
Chair, Poverty Issues Advisory Committee report dated 8 December 2003
(ACS2004-CCV-POI-0001).
2. The following submissions were received and are held on file:
a. Ottawa
Community Housing Corporation letter dated 15 Jan 04
b. Hintonburg Community Association letter dated 15 Jan
04
3. Extract of Draft
Minute, Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee 15 January 2004.
Report
to/Rapport au:
Health,
Recreation and Social Services Committee/
Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services
sociaux
and Council/et au Conseil
8 December 2003 / le 8 décembre 2003
Submitted
by/Soumis par: Chair, Poverty Issues
Advisory Committee/
Présidente, Comité consultatif sur les questions liées à la pauvreté
Contact/Personne-ressource: Brenda Emond
Advisory Committee Coordinator, Corporate Services Department
Coordonnatrice de comités consultatifs, Services généraux
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Ref N°:
ACS2004-CCV-POI-0001 |
SUBJECT: POVERTY
ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE – COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL PROGRAM
OBJET: COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS LIÉES À
LA PAUVRETÉ – PROGRAMME COMPLET DE SOINS DENTAIRES
REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That the Health, Recreation and Social
Services Committee recommend Council endorse the Toronto Oral Health Coalition (TOHC ) campaign and direct the Health Department of
People Services to liase with the Chair of TOHC, Dr. Hazel Stewart, Director of
Oral Health for the City of Toronto, to explore avenues of collaboration to
advance this initiative.
At the 5 November 2003 meeting of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee
the following motion was unanimously carried.
Whereas 40% of Ontario Residents do not have dental
insurance and as a result dental care is usually left until it is an emergency.
And Whereas Dental Disease is found mostly in
uninsured seniors, high risk children, those with disabilities, Aboriginal
peoples, new immigrants, the homeless, people with HIV/AIDS and people on low
income.
And
Whereas the loss of teeth and poor dental health have a negative impact on
peoples’ health, affecting their ability to eat, to work or to find employment.
And
Whereas Dental Care in an emergency room costs the province significantly more
money than ongoing preventative dental care.
And whereas the Toronto Oral Health Coalition (TOHC) is currently
engaged in a campaign to address this disparity in Health Services.
Be it
resolved that PIAC give its support and endorsement to the TOHC campaign to
urge the Provincial Government of Ontario to develop a comprehensive dental
plan to provide basic dental care (i.e. cleaning, fillings. extractions, etc)
for all Ontario residents regardless of their income or social status.
And
be it further resolved that PIAC urges the City Council to also lend support to
this initiative.
The motion is in essence calling for a universal dental care
program in Ontario.
Many local
municipalities offer only mandatory services which leave a large
number of individuals with no access to treatment. Such
a program would
extend the patchwork of coverage that currently exists under
two major Provincial programs:
· Ontario Disability Support Program ODSP - dental program for individuals receiving disability support (children and adults); and
· Ontario Works (OW) Program - dental program for children under 18.
These two mandatory programs
provide basic care to recipients.
The
information contained in the motion is being circulated to other municipalities
by the Ontario Association of Public Health Dentists and is in keeping with the
principles toward which this organization works. Through the City's involvement
in this provincial association, staff are already liaising with Toronto Public
Health and other municipal health departments.
In
terms of City support, urgent dental services are
provided to OW
recipients through City dental clinics. The City also provides
a similar level of
care for individuals who meet low income cut offs (many are seniors) through the
City's Essential Health and Social Supports
(EHSS) Program. This level of service is lower than that
being referred to in the motion, in that the
program is designed to provide basic care. The motion does however, directly address the needs of some groups that are already
provided services through the EHSS program, including
seniors.
While
the motion should be lauded and supported, given its benefits to health and increased access
to service, there are potential financial and
operational issues associated with the implementation of such a universal
dental coverage program, including:
·
The ability of the Provincial
Government to allocate significant
new funding;
·
The potential increase to municipal
budget pressures if such a program is cost-shared or downloaded to the municipality;
and
· The willingness of private service providers to accept clients where the Provincial Government reimburses to a maximum percentage of dental fees (currently only 70%).
If the Province increases its dental program there is a potential for increase to municipal budget pressures as this is a cost-shared program.
Attachment 1 – Ontario Health Promotion
E-Bullentin #310.1 (on file with the City Clerk)
The Coordinator, Health, Recreation and
Social Services Committee will inform the PIAC of the disposition of this item.
POVERTY ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE –
COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL PROGRAM
COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS LIÉES
À LA PAUVRETÉ – PROGRAMME COMPLET DE SOINS DENTAIRES
ACS2004-CCV-POI-0001
Linda Lalonde, Chair, Poverty Issues Advisory
Committee spoke briefly in
support of the recommendation and urged the committee to lend their support by
writing to the province about this initiative.
She clarified that the Advisory Committee was not seeking a financial
contribution to the campaign, although they recognized there could be financial
implications to the City downstream should it lend its support to this program.
The General Manager of People Services,
Jocelyne St Jean supported the recommendation and explained that any costs
associated with this recommendation would depend on what the province decides
to do and what cost-sharing would be involved.
She confirmed that staff would report back on the latter.
Councillor Stavinga wondered whether there were
costs involved if the City chose to endorse this campaign and the Director of
Community Services, Aaron Burry indicated it would require new and significant
monies. While she supported the
concept, the councillor was hesitant to approve a recommendation that would put
additional pressure on property taxes.
It was suggested the recommendation be amended to the effect that the
province would pay for the cost of this program.
The General Manager assured committee there
would be no tax increase associated with this program, whether or not the City
supports the recommendation.
Moved by J. Stavinga
That the following be added to the end of the
recommendation: “based on provincial
funding sources.”
CARRIED
That the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend
Council endorse the Toronto Oral
Health Coalition (TOHC
) campaign and direct the Health Department of People Services to liase with
the Chair of TOHC, Dr. Hazel Stewart, Director of Oral Health for the City of
Toronto, to explore avenues of collaboration to advance this initiative.
initiative based on provincial funding sources.
CARRIED as amended