MONTREAL – Tracy Odell recalls with a mix of pride and pain the sunny spring day two years ago that her daughter got married in California. Pride in the milestone. Pain at having to miss it. Airlines, she said, effectively failed to accommodate her disability, a problem that thousands of Canadians continue to face despite […]
Winnipeg insurance firm now covers video doctor visits
A Winnipeg insurance provider appears to be the first in Canada to let its clients claim virtual doctor appointments, getting prescriptions and other primary care without the patients leaving their homes or offices. Johnston Group is partnering with Teladoc Health, an international company that offers phone or video consultation with a doctor, to offer virtual […]
Disability advocacy organization in limbo amid funding uncertainty
The Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities says it may be forced to close after repeated attempts to ask the province to restore its core funding, which was cut in December 2017, have been unsuccessful. “We’ve done everything we can do, except close the doors, to get by,” said treasurer Fred Dugdale. “You just […]
Ontario man says life insurance application denied due to anxiety disorder
A man in Elmira, Ont., says Sun Life Financial denied his application for life insurance because he has generalized anxiety disorder, and he’s worried the practice could discourage others from seeking help for mental illness. Robert Pugh, 32, and his wife, Amber, have a toddler and another child on the way. In the spring, the couple decided each would purchase […]
How actors with disabilities are changing the narrative in Hollywood
When Ryan O’Connell created his Netflix series Special, he knew it was good. But he didn’t imagine the comedy would earn four Emmy nominations, including best comedy, in its first season. “I always believed in the show,” said O’Connell. “But having that validated is sort of incredible.” Special is about a millennial gay man living with cerebral palsy while trying to make it as a […]
Canadians ready for health care to modernize, CMA poll suggests
Many Canadians want to connect virtually with their doctor in an Amazon-like experience, but the country’s health-care system first needs to modernize, according to a new report. The Canadian Medical Association released a report Thursday — titled The Future of Connected Health Care — with a focus on how people feel about health-care technology, such as virtual […]
Hiring people with disabilities benefits businesses
Businesses increasingly see diversity in the workplace as positive for their operations, according to a Conference Board of Canada survey of Canadian organizations. But according to the same report, while there is a recognition that diversity drives innovation and gives businesses an edge over competitors, people living with disabilities are the most underrepresented employment […]
PM pledges access to medication as pharmacists, patient groups fear shortage
Canadians will continue to have access to the medications they need, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised Thursday in the face of escalating worry about a Trump administration decision to allow prescription drug imports from Canada. During a visit to Iqaluit, Trudeau said Health Canada already ensures there is a “steady and solid supply” of medications […]
WRHA fees for photocopies called too high
It can cost Manitobans hundreds of dollars to access their own medical records, due to photocopying fees more than four times the market rate. An Ontario woman went public earlier this month after she was charged $1,100 to get her late father’s electronic hospital records. Ontario charges 25 cents per page after the first 20 […]
Canada to compensate 718 gay-purge victims in class-action settlement
OTTAWA – Some victims of the federal government’s gay purge were so devastated by the experience that even decades later they needed the help of a therapist to fill out forms to receive financial compensation, says the lawyer who led a successful class action. Several claimants were still so mistrustful of the government after being […]