Clinicians must take care when answering requests for patient information from insurance companies, Toronto health lawyer Kate Dewhirst tells Adv
Dewhirst, principal of Kate Dewhirst Health Law, says medical practitioners can be knocked out of their comfort zones when records requests come in regarding disability insurance, life insurance or other policies triggered by a health event, due to the huge impact coverage decisions can have on patients’ lives.
Motorists in Canada get a tough deal. Auto insurance rates have spiralled across multiple provinces in recent years and the rapid inflation of rates don’t look like disappearing any time soon.
The physical trauma of a collision can cause severe injuries that prevent normal daily activities. Depending on the severity of the injury, it can take weeks or months to recover. It is crucial to listen to your body and allow yourself time to heal before returning to strenuous activity. Returning immediately to your regular routine too quickly could possibly trigger a relapse.
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The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has overturned a provincial human rights board decision that said an injured man’s legally prescribed medical marijuana must be covered by his union insurance plan, marking a significant setback for cannabis advocates.
https://globalnews.ca/news/414
Many people associate concussions with contact sports like hockey or football. Concussions can occur as a result of a car accident, a slip and fall injury or an event that causes a blow to the head or violent shaking or movement of the head.
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The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) is inviting feedback on its proposed Treating Financial Services Consumers Fairly Guideline.
Treating Financial Services Consumers Fairly Guideline
FSCO is committed to protecting consumers in the sectors it regulates. In today’s complex and inter-connected financial services marketplace, the fair treatment of consumers is fundamental to the strength and stability of the marketplace.
Treating consumers fairly means putting the interests of consumers first. It means taking the time to understand their needs and ensure they understand their rights and responsibilities, so they can make the most informed financial decisions possible.
FSCO already expects that its licensees are treating consumers fairly, and looks for this during compliance examinations. However, treating consumers fairly is not just about the law. It is about an ethical way of conducting business that places the consumer at the centre of all business decisions.
FSCO is developing a Treating Financial Services Consumers Fairly Guideline to ensure a common understanding about what it means to treat consumers fairly throughout a financial product’s life cycle.
The guideline aligns with international standards and with similar national supervisory efforts, and applies to the following FSCO-regulated sectors: insurance, credit union/caisse populaire, loan and trust, and mortgage brokering.
FSCO intends to release its final Treating Financial Services Consumers Fairly Guideline later this year.
FSCO encourages all interested parties to read the guideline and submit written comments tomarketconduct@fsco.gov.on.ca
Finally, some good news relating to the interpretation of the accident benefit legislation. The Government through a FSCO Bulletin A-03/18 has clarified that attendant care payments should be made having regard to the calculated MONTHLY amount rather than by applying the low hourly rates to the actual services provided. As well, the Bulletin clarifies that case managers with professional designations should be paid at their professional rates even when they are acting as case managers (i.e. that an OT working as a case manager should be paid at the OT rate rather than the case management rate). Some recent cases had interpreted the legislation different and this clarifying bulletin will help accident victims get the services they need.
Few people can argue that health care is a business these days. Medical services are attached a price tag and patients are now customers. However, intrinsic to health care is a very high ethical code that doesn’t exist in other sectors. For example, if a patient shows up in the ER, they cannot be denied service, whether they are wearing shoes or not. While McDonald’s and other top companies are driven for profits, there are lessons the health care industry should avoid taking from them.
What practices should be avoided in medicine?
KITCHENER — Six months have passed since the Supreme Court of Canada heard an appeal of a landmark ruling that found a Bruce County garage partly liable for injuries suffered by a teen who stole a car from the business.
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Canadians are waiting longer for joint replacements and cataract surgeries, while doctors are performing more of these procedures, according to new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.