Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 22:36:05 -0700
From: moe <moe@kootenaycuts.com>
Subject: [KCUTS] latest news
L was visiting some pensioner friends of mine this evening and they were in
a panic about these changes. One was crying. These people never let up, do
they?
moe
From Cathy Woods
B.C. pension plans cutting benefits
CBC
Oct. 21, 2002
VICTORIA - Retired B.C. public service workers face major cuts to their
extended health care and dental benefits in January, because of higher MSP
premiums plus cuts to Pharmacare and other programs.
There's a letter in the mail this week telling them the Public Service
Pension Board of Trustees is boosting the deductible for extended health
benefits to $250 from the current $25.
After that, the plan will only reimburse 70 per cent of claims. It now
pays 100 per cent.
The pension plan is also dropping its free universal dental plan, which
could be replaced by an optional plan at cost.
Retired B.C. public servants had already been told they'd have to pay a
portion of their medical insurance premiums in the future.
The trustees of the pension plan say they had to pass on higher costs, or
they'd run out of money.
"It's not good news for pensioners," says B.C. Government and Service
Employees Union spokesperson Soren Beck. "It's very difficult for retired
members, especially those living close to the poverty line already."
The BCGEU is one of the pension fund trustees.
Ed Bodner of the B.C. Government Retired Employees Association says the
cuts will have a devastating effect on many seniors.
INTERVIEW: The Early Edition's Rick Cluff speaks with Ed Bodner. (Runs 5:41)
B.C. Finance Minister Gary Collins says it's unfortunate the cuts are
having a disproportionate impact on seniors, but he says they are the ones
who use the health care system the most.
"Those are the costs that are there," he says. "Government is making tough
decisions all around the province to try and keep those costs under
control."
NDP leader Joy MacPhail says that's an appalling response
"It is astounding for any person in charge of public policy to somehow
suggest that as we age, we should have to share unfairly and
disproportionately in the burden of these Liberal cuts," says MacPhail.
MacPhail says seniors still haven't seen the full impact of the cuts in
services. The government also plans to introduce an income test for
Pharmacare in the new year.
__
Welfare changes applauded
CBC
Oct. 21, 2002
Vancouver - A report card from the Fraser Institute has given the Campbell
government a "B" grade for its recent welfare reforms.
LINK: Summary of report:
<http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=488>http://www.fra
serinstitute.ca/shared/readmore.asp?sNav=nr&id=488
LINK: Full report (PDF):
<http://www.fraserinstitute.ca/admin/books/files/BC-welfare.pdf>http://www.frase
rinstitute.ca/admin/books/files/BC-welfare.pdf
The Vancouver-based think tank says B.C. wins top marks for ending welfare
entitlement by limiting benefits for employable persons to 12 months.
The government also got a good rating for expanding the existing diversion
program, which compels recipients to look for work and attend orientation
sessions.
B.C. got its lone failing mark for eliminating the earnings exemption,
except for the disabled.
The report says other jurisdictions have found that allowing people on
welfare to keep part of their earned income without reducing their welfare
benefits is a powerful incentive.
__
Welfare survey misses most ex-recipients
Those who could be located had found work or enrolled in school
Craig McInnes
Vancouver Sun
October 21, 2002
VICTORIA -- The Liberal government says that most people leaving welfare
are finding work or going back to school.
But recently released details of the survey it used to make that claim
last month show it was unable to locate 39 per cent of those who left and
another 25 per cent of them could not be contacted or refused to
participate in the survey.
Human Resources Minister Murray Coell said the study, the first of an
ongoing series that will be done every three months, shows efforts to get
people into the labour force are working.
"I was pleased to see the results showing people were getting employment
and/or returning to school," Coell said in an interview.
"It's a first for B.C. government to do any tracking of people leaving
income assistance and to my knowledge it's actually a first in Canada to do
it on an ongoing basis."
People have been falling off the welfare rolls in record numbers in the
past few years, but while the previous NDP government started a tracking
program, there has been little research to see where they have gone.
The number of people collecting welfare in B.C. has dropped by about
170,000 -- enough people to populate a small city -- since the NDP
government brought in its reforms of the mid-'90s.
Since the Liberals took power in June, 48,000 people have dropped off the
rolls.
At an open cabinet meeting last month, Coell announced that 96 per cent of
those leaving welfare "left for work, returned to school, received a form
of income like employment insurance, changed family status or saw their
financial situation improve to the point where they no longer needed income
assistance. Less than three per cent of these cases were closed by the
ministry."
No details were available at the time, but the government has now revealed
that out of a group of about 5,500 people who last received benefits in
September, 2001 and stayed off the rolls for the next six months, just over
1,800 of them completed the survey.
Of those, 50.2 per cent said they found work, 35.1 per cent returned to
school, 5.3 per cent found another source of income, such as Employment
Insurance, and six per cent had a change of family or financial status.
Coell said he believes the results are an accurate reflection of what
happens to people leaving welfare, despite having no response from more
than 3,500 of the 5,500 people in the group.
Michael Goldberg, the research director for the Social Planning and
Research Council in Vancouver, said he is not surprised either by the
results, which are similar to preliminary results from the earlier study
started under the NDP, or the fact that so many former welfare recipients
were missed.
"The big question is, of the 75 per cent of the males we weren't able to
reach, what happened to them? That's a group that's highly mobile and to be
honest with you, we don't know."
But Goldberg questioned the conclusion that the results show the Liberal
welfare reforms are working. He noted that the group surveyed actually left
before the reforms took effect.
"That means that obviously the system was working reasonably well before,"
he said.
Jenny Kwan, human resources critic for the two-member NDP caucus,
questioned the results and the interpretation.
"They seem to be trying to sweep the reality of their attacks under the
rug by putting forward, I think, faulty statistics," she said.
"All the Liberals really have to do is to open their eyes and they'll see
for themselves that many British Columbians are faced with extreme
hardship, pain and suffering as a result of the Liberals' program cuts in a
variety of areas and, of course, in the welfare system as well."
Jason Clemens, an economist with the Fraser Institute, said the findings
in B.C. are similar to the experience in the United States: "Those type of
numbers would be well in line with the more progressive states like
Wisconsin."
The Canada West Foundation took a look at people leaving welfare in
Alberta and found that 60 per cent did so because they found work.
People in that survey said they felt better off since giving up welfare
but two-thirds reported trouble paying for their food or shelter at least
once since giving up provincial income assistance.
In the B.C. survey, single men who found work were earning an average of
$1,831 a month, or 3.6 times their welfare rate.
Single women were earning an average of $1,336, or 2.6 times their welfare
rate.
Single-parent families reported earning an average of $1,655, or 1.8 times
their welfare rate of $909 a month.
Coell said the real value in the tracking will come in subsequent months,
when the results can be compared to previous surveys.
Meanwhile, he said the number of people coming into provincial offices
seeking welfare assistance has fallen significantly since the government
tightened up eligibility requirements.
cmcinnes@direct.ca
__
Police board fears A-G's changes will decriminalize spousal assault
Gwendolyn Richards
Vancouver Sun
October 21, 2002
The public has just seven more days to weigh in on a government proposal
that says spousal assault cases should no longer be automatically
prosecuted in court.
The current policy calls for Crown counsel to prosecute all cases of
relationship violence where a conviction is likely.
Attorney-General Geoff Plant proposed the changes in a government
discussion paper released in July. The paper suggests that Crown counsel
should have the discretion not to lay charges, but be able to use other
measures like peace bonds and compulsory counselling for "low-risk" cases.
The paper also said the Crown often deals with reluctant or hostile
witnesses and cases that proceed to trial without enough evidence can take
up valuable court resources.
Meanwhile, the Vancouver police board has asked the attorney-general to
reconsider the planned changes.
In a policy report, the police department said the planned move will
decriminalize "violence when it takes place in the domestic/private sphere"
and the diversion option suggested by the attorney-general will increase
the risk that women in violent relationships are facing.
In 2001-02, the province laid almost 8,000 spousal assault charges, with
4,300 resulting in guilty pleas or verdicts. Charges were dropped in 3,200
cases.
The discussion paper released by the government says that under the
current legislation, if cases are dropped, there are no grounds for
compelling the abuser or victim to seek counselling.
The police board argues the government needs to put greater resources into
police-based, community and Crown victim services. It also wants the
attorney-general to create special domestic violence courts while
continuing to support the current policy.
__
Expert slams move to 'Americanize' health-care
Jack Keating
The Province
October 21, 2002
An American expert on the U.S. health-care system warned yesterday of the
Americanization of health care in B.C. under Premier Gordon Campbell's plan
to implement private-public partnerships.
American companies and insurance firms will move into B.C., said Dr. Linda
Peeno.
"Once you introduce the private for-profit entities, then everything gets
driven towards [making] money," she said.
Campbell on Saturday announced a $90-million private-public partnership to
build and operate an ambulatory care centre at Vancouver General Hospital.
Peeno, from Kentucky, brought to Vancouver by the B.C. Nurses Union to
speak at a serious of public meetings, called Campbell's announcement "very
troubling" and "dangerous" for medicare because it will "Americanize and
import all of our worst mistakes."
Simon Fraser University history professor Allen Seager, the director of
Canadian studies at SFU, said there's no restriction on U.S. investment in
health care under NAFTA.
"It could certainly open up investment opportunities for the American
health-care entrepreneurs," he said.
Campbell defended changes to the public health-care system as "a way that
we can provide improved publicly funded and accessible services, while
efficiently managing resources so those dollars can meet a wider range of
patient needs."
"I think all of the premiers will tell you today the health-care system
we've had over the last generation is not sustainable in its current form."
Fred Muzin, the president of the Hospital Employees Union, said the
Campbell government is "trying to destroy medicare" with privatization and
contracting out.
"They want to privatize health care because there's a lot of money to be
made off it," he said.
jkeating@pacpress.southam.ca
___
cathywoods@shaw.ca
<http://www.creativeresistance.ca/>www.creativeresistance.ca
ALSO:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday October 21, 2002
Government hits thousands of retired workers with new costs and less health
coverage
The BCGEU today criticized the provincial government for taking money out
of the pockets of pensioners.
"Retired people seem to be a favourite target for this government," said
George Heyman, President of the BCGEU.
"They are closing retirement homes. They have separated couples after 60
years of marriage. They have increased medical premiums by 50 percent, and
completely eliminated coverage for many paramedical services and eye exams.
They have cut Pharmacare coverage and plan to take another $300 million out
of Pharmacare next year," said Heyman.
"These huge increases in taxes and user fees will be particularly difficult
for seniors, the sick and the poor," he said.
"Under the pension trust agreement, the government agreed to provide
continuing funds to cover Medical Services Plan premiums, extended health
and group life. The government has violated the spirit of that agreement by
downloading huge cost increases, without any corresponding increase in
funding.
"In essence, the Campbell government is taking money out of the pockets of
the elderly to help pay for the huge tax giveaway it handed to the very
rich during its first week in office."
The Public Service Pension Board of Trustees has decided to pass on a
portion of the MSP increases to retirees. The amount varies for individuals
depending on years of pensionable service. Families with income of less
than $24,000 a year are eligible for full or partial premium assistance.
The deductible for extended health benefits will increase from $25 to $250.
In addition the plan will pay 70 percent of the first $2,000 of eligible
expenses, and 100 percent thereafter. This is a change from 80 percent of
the first $1,000 of eligible expenses. The lifetime limit for coverage will
be increased to $100,000 from $40,000. The changes take effect January 1,
2003.
-30-
Contact: Soren Bech, BCGEU Communications, 604 291-9611
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