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Eye surgeon sounds alarm on OHIP cuts Average billing jumped 60 per cent, Liberal MPP says
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Thursday, June 7, 2012
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BULLY BILL LEAVES DEEP DIVIDE Students raise one ‘Voice’ to stop bullying while parents, religious groups ponder impact of Bill 13 BY KIM ZARZOUR
kzarzour@yrmg.com
Ontario may have shown strong leadership in passing anti-bullying legislation Bill 13 this week, but
Bill Belsey, founder of one of the world’s top anti-bully organizations, says that’s not enough. “The government of Ontario could come along and write a
cheque to York Region for a million dollars, but that by itself won’t change anything. In addressing bullying, small is big. It’s the small stuff that makes a difference.”
And by small stuff, he means students not politicians — those on the front lines of the bully battle, the ones who can make little daySee STUDENTS, page 26.
NO, IT’S NOT A METEOR
BY L.H. TIFFANY HSIEH
thsieh@yrmg.com
Some patients could lose their eyesight under new regulations imposed by the provincial Liberal government, a Markham eye surgeon speaking out against health care funding cuts warned. “That’s just not what we do, we try to prevent patients from going blind,” said Dr. Jeff Martow, chief of ophthalmology at Markham Stouffville Hospital who also runs a private practice on Church Street. Dr. Martow called a recent announcement made by Health Minister Deb Matthews to slash the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) fees the province pays for hundreds of services that doctors perform an “unanticipated effect on patient care”.
HUNDREDS OF FEES TARGETTED Changes to the OHIP fee schedule target hundreds of services provided by cardiologists, radiologists and ophthalmologists. While the government says the move would save $338.3 million this year, doctors like Mr. Martow believe there are other ways to save money without negatively impacting patient care. Talks between the Ontario Medical Association (OMA), which represents 25,000 physicians, and the ministry broke down in April See CUTS, page 18.
STAFF PHOTO/SJOERD WITTEVEEN
A Markham Fire crew arrives to douse a waste fire at the Miller Group’s Earl Turcott Waste Management Facility on Roddick Road early yesterday morning. A garbage truck with a smoky load of trash dumped the refuse in a pile outside the facility at 300 Rodick Rd., north of 14th Avenue, Markham Fire spokesperson Dave Blizzard said. Markham Fire sent one truck to the scene to soak the smouldering trash pile.
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