Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker has announced a provincial expansion for healthcare for low income seniors.
Specifically, Walker's release shares details on the provincial government expanding access to dental care and prescription drugs for low income seniors in Ontario.
In 2019 the province launched the Ontario Seniors Dental Care program to "provide free routine dental care for eligible low-income seniors across the province. The Seniors Co-Payment Program was also launched so low income seniors could better afford medication. Now, according to the release, beginning August 1st, 2021, "eligibility thresholds for both programs will be updated to reflect cost of living increases in Ontario and align with income support programs for seniors." According to the release, "income thresholds will be updated for single Ontarians aged 65 and over, from $19,300 to $22,200, and for couples with a combined annual income, from $32,300 to $37,100.
Walker's release states that these new measures will allow 7,000 more seniors to access the dental plan and roughly 17,000 will be able to access the co-payment program for medication.
“Our government continues to support Ontario’s seniors by ensuring they have access to the quality dental care and the prescription medications they need,” says Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “Expanding access to these programs to even more low-income seniors builds on our government’s ongoing efforts to protect hospital capacity and will help improve the quality of life and well-being of low-income seniors.”
“This is great news for seniors in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. I’m happy to see the eligibility thresholds for these two programs increasing to ensure even more low-income seniors have access to free routine dental care and affordable prescriptions,” adds Walker.
