MVA Facebook Page ~ Liberal government fully restores refugee health care program

I'm tempted to see the difference between the VAC site (news releases) and Hehr's facebook posts.

On facebook he can wear a lot more hats, comment on a lot more, post selfies, or flip burgers at the Stampede because it is a "social" site.

We would be so lucky if he devoted 10% of what he posts on facebook, but onto the GoC VAC site dealing strictly with veterans issues. We might know more than we do.

But short of Xmas being on March 22, I feel his learning curve will be rather... quite long.

jmo pinger

Negative waves Trooper enough with the negative waves. Quote: "Donald Sutherland" Kelley's hero's.

With regards to the refugees getting full medical coverage I believe that those refugees who arrived before the ones who are now arriving from the Liberals government have spoken in complaining that they were not getting the same benefits offered to the new arriving refugees an the government folded an is now extending it to those refugees who arrived earlier.
It is a priority for this government to complete the refugee file as it is shinning the light globally an makes JT  look good an believe me this government wants to look good.
One thing that can come to light in this whole implementation of completing this task is to take a good look at the Minister responsible in getting this done , McCallum , he stuck with his job as Minister of immigration an got it done...you don't see him running around discussing issues outside of his duties...he took command of this an got it done...perhaps that's why he is not known as an Energizer Bunny...he does the job his suppose to do.

So now we have our Minister known as the wealthy energizer bunny...there's rumors going around saying that some of the promises made by the Liberals will not get fulfill.
I don't think that the Veterans file is going to be one of them.
That said , I don't expect anything new in terms of this budget for Veterans except of course of what was already said by our Minister.
He has made it clear where his priorities are , transition from military to civilian , wellness centers , an homelessness which he says is going to be concentrated to both Veterans an civilians who are homeless , his words , he wants to kill two birds with one stone.
Then of course we have the hiring of new staff an the re - opening of the VAC offices.
Also adding of the $325 million on top of what is budgeted for Veterans to fulfill their promises will certainly be in the budget.
Anything that will come our way in this budget over an above what I mentioned above of course would be a welcome bonus.
We have a Minister I believe that is on a high...a high of being in a top position...he is talking on all sorts of things that is completely outside of the Veterans file...I believe he has passed his mandate down to get completed...an is simply leaving up to them to get it done within their 4 year term.
The reason I think he is taken this approach is simply because he does not fully understand what his promises consist of...he is relying completely on others for this which is probably why he never speaks on the details of his promises...he chooses the easy ones which is the ones we do hear about.
If this turns out to be the case , I think he is making a big mistake as he can certainly come out an say , were working on it , but for how long ?

Navrat wrote:I like no name, that way I can spread more coin around the bar! The widows appreciate that and it's the least I can do for the veteran community!

LOL @ Nav. You should get the ladies at the Legion to make you homemade beans in a crock pot.

I like no name, that way I can spread more coin around the bar! The widows appreciate that and it's the least I can do for the veteran community!

Well said wild thing.

As long as the canned beans have molasses I am good with any brand.

So hehr's going to make 267k plus 132 k plus a driver plus expenses so when its all said and done he is barely scraping buy. better be 3 billion in the budget for veterans.

Hmmm beans and wieners Sparrow. brand name or no name?

czerv wrote:Why is he even speaking on the subject. Not busy enough with veterans issues?
see this one:
Seven MPs accepted nearly $780,000 in transition allowances
• Kent Hehr (Liberal cabinet minister) – $132,518.55
• Hehr made no apologies for his choice to accept the money from the Alberta legislature.
• “They are full well entitled to change that package at some point in time, and maybe the new (provincial) government will,” he said.
http://globalnews.ca/news/2525923/seven-mps-accepted-nearly-780000-in-transition-allowances/?utm_source=Home&utm_medium=EditorsPick&utm_campaign=2015

Wow, that's incredible, and then you have soldiers losing money on their homes when posted.  I literally just lost my appetite for my beans and wieners lunch menu.

Why is he even speaking on the subject. Not busy enough with veterans issues?
see this one:
Seven MPs accepted nearly $780,000 in transition allowances
• Kent Hehr (Liberal cabinet minister) – $132,518.55
• Hehr made no apologies for his choice to accept the money from the Alberta legislature.
• “They are full well entitled to change that package at some point in time, and maybe the new (provincial) government will,” he said.
http://globalnews.ca/news/2525923/seven-mps-accepted-nearly-780000-in-transition-allowances/?utm_source=Home&utm_medium=EditorsPick&utm_campaign=2015

Federal budget coming March 22 — with a deficit that will likely surpass $20 billion
http://www.leaderpost.com/federal+budget+coming+march+with+deficit+that+will+likely+surpass+billion/11735914/story.html

How much will be allocated to Veterans?

Maybe us vets should demand to be removed from Vac and instead sign up for the Empty Cup funding , no matter what , how or when everything covered refree gees health care. This is getting crazy

MVA  Facebook quote "Our government has restored all refugee health care benefits. It’s the right thing to do, full stop."

Sparrow ~ But Veterans have to fight tooth and nail for their benefits and prescriptions, full stop!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/mcallum-philpott-interim-federal-health-program-refugees-1.3453397

All refugee health care benefits will be fully restored to pre-2012 levels by April 1, Canada's Liberal government announced Thursday.

Refugees from any country of origin will be covered once again, following several years of confusion and patchwork solutions after the previous Conservative government scaled back the interim federal health program in an effort to save an estimated $20 million annually.

In addition, Immigration Minister John McCallum and Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Thursday that starting April 1, 2017, additional coverage would be offered to refugees before their departure for Canada, to cover:
■Medical examinations required for immigration.
■Vaccinations.
■Treatment of disease outbreaks in refugee camps.
■Medical support during travel to Canada.

"It is the right thing to do," McCallum told reporters in Ottawa, saying the changes would not only improve the health of refugees, but they would also help protect the health of all Canadians.

Reinstating federal coverage also lowers costs for provinces and territories.

Refugees unable to access routine medical services were ending up in hospital emergency rooms, often with conditions that would have been far less serious and less expensive to treat if they were caught and managed proactively earlier.

Refugees who need prescription drugs, vision care and urgent dental care will now have coverage similar to what provinces and territories provide to Canadians on social assistance.

McCallum said the changes would be covered within the $51 million already allocated for the interim federal health program in the current budget framework.

Restoring health care for all refugees is estimated to cost $5.9 million annually. Extending the pre-departure services next year could cost $5.6 million annually.

Appeal dropped last year

As part of its efforts to assist a large, new wave of Syrian refugees to Canada, the federal government announced last December it had dropped an appeal of a Federal Court case over changes to the interim federal health program for refugees.
■When the story doesn't quite come full circle
■Liberals to fully restore refugee health-care cuts
■​Appeal case against federal health for refugees

The court ordered that benefits cut by Stephen Harper's Conservative government in 2012 be reinstated. Those cuts applied to failed refugee claimants and those still in Canada waiting for their appeals to be heard.

McCallum said the government had no choice but to act after the court ruled that the cuts were inconsistent with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Cabinet had already lifted the restrictions to provide coverage for privately sponsored and government-assisted Syrian refugees. In a few weeks, all will be covered, regardless of their country of origin
Philpott said Thursday the cuts placed an administrative burden on health care providers, some of whom faced the choice of either denying service to some refugees or providing those services without billing, something the health minister praised as "generous" and "heroic."

One of her messages, Philpott said, was one of thanks to those professionals who continued to provide care voluntarily.

Six different types of coverage had been in place for different refugees since November 2014.

Things now return to a system with "one path" for refugee health care, the minister said, simplifying everything again after things had disintegrated into an "enormous complexity" that became "almost unmanageable."

"Any savings suggested by the previous federal government were false savings," Philpott said.

Eases burden on refugee sponsors

Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins issued a statement congratulating the federal government.

"Providing these services is not only fair, it saves our health-care system money in the long term by cutting down on costly emergency visits," he said.
Hoskins noted that because of the cuts, Ontario had to create a temporary health program to meet Ontario's "humanitarian obligations." That has cost the province $2 million since January, 2014.

The group Citizens for Public Justice also issued a statement welcoming the move, citing a study on private refugee sponsorship in which it found that approximately one-third of church-connected sponsorship agreement holders (SAHs) reported their sponsoring groups decreased or ended their involvement out of fear for added liability for health costs.

According to the study, 72 per cent of SAHs in Canada are churches or church-connected groups. The cuts meant private sponsors had to cover vision and dental care, prosthetics, mobility devices, and medication.

"This is a huge financial risk for refugee-sponsoring churches," said executive director Joe Gunn, adding that Thursday's announcement answers his group's call to recognize the hard work and sacrifice sponsorship groups put into helping refugees.

The interim federal health program covers:
■resettled refugees.
■other protected persons.
■asylum claimants.
■rejected claimants.
■immigration detainees.
■victims of human trafficking.
■other groups identified by the minister, such as Haitians in Canada temporarily after the 2010 earthquake.

Coverage ends when recipients become eligible for provincial or territorial insurance, or leave Canada. Supplemental coverage may continue to cover costs like prescription drugs while the refugees receive assistance from the government or private sponsors (usually one year.)

ya I here ya pinger no one likes ANY of the political parties that much . I guess they would be a little more likeable if they were not so full of well..... politicians .

but a means to and end is a means to an end I guess and ya gotta vote for someone .

propat

BTW...

Gotta say this.

During the last election, here were MY PRIORITIES.

1:  I voted.
2:  I voted for veterans.
3:  I voted for a political party (BOTTOM of the list)
   
    Enough said.

About the topic of  “Canada to accommodate Syrian refugees in military bases” it strike home to me. I do not know now a days, perhaps military bases are vacant? But in the 80's I gave up on pmq waiting lists of 6 – 12 months.
They were mostly ratty even then. Just can't remember which ones Dartmouth/Bedford/Shearwater way.
A few were really nice, but ALL had a waiting list and were in high demand by military personnal.

That was then...
Not to go off topic, but what I do know, is in the here and now.
John McCallum as immigration minister has constantly been giving updates and been in the media, to account for JT's refugee election promises.

Where is VAC Minister Hehr? What updates? Our file was in the top 5 election priorities weren't they? I have'nt heard jackshyte short of re-opening offices and 400 new hires. Has Kent Hehr been on TV? Saw a politician or mayor of Nova-Scotia on TV asking for more refugees though.

Somethings wrong with this picture. I do NOT condone backlash but I expected it in late November. It's a no brainer...

JMO and a rant. pinger.