Health System Failing Disabled Canadians Excerpt By Juhie Bhatia, Reuters Health

Canadians with disabilities are falling through cracks in the health care system, with many not receiving essential medication or other care, according to data released by the Canadian Council on Social Development (CCSD).

"Our health care system is inadequate to support their needs," said Gail Fawcett, a senior researcher with the CCSD. "This is a big concern, especially since baby boomers are heading into age groups that are at higher risk for disabilities."

"The demand on our health care system will only increase, and increase rapidly."

The new data, compiled in the CCSD's Disability Information Sheets, show that almost 15 percent of disabled Canadians are unable to access required health care at some point over a year -- more than three times the rate among those without disabilities.

For working-age people with disabilities, 19 percent of women and 12 percent of men said they sometimes couldn't afford necessary drugs. Among those with severe disabilities, these rates rose to 25 percent for women and 18 percent for men.

It's a "catch-22," said Fawcett, since many disabled Canadians may not be able to work because they lack the medical care they need, while having a job might provide them with better access to health care.

Fewer disabled Canadians age 65 and older -- about five percent of women and less than four percent of men -- reported being unable to get required medication. This is likely due to effective provincial drug plans for seniors, said Fawcett.

The research also shows most Canadians with disabilities don't claim the federal medical expense tax credit (METC), designed to provide tax relief to people sustaining high medical expenses. Even among those who do claim the credit, though, about three in 10 said they didn't actually receive any benefit from it.

Fawcett said this could be because expense thresholds are high, the credit is worth only a small fraction of the costs incurred, and it only applies to people with taxable incomes.

"People aren't being served by the METC," she said. "If people had better tax advice and the forms were easier to fill out, it may serve them better. Regardless, it doesn't help people come up with money when it's needed if they have to wait until tax time to receive it."

She recommends a better-structured, fully refundable tax credit or a drug-assistance plan for working-age Canadians who are not covered by a private health plan.

Officials also have to look at the bigger picture, according to Fawcett.

"People are falling between the cracks, so we need to look at infrastructure," she said. "This data adds one more piece of evidence that there's a problem with our health care system and that we need a solution, a quick one, because of our aging population."

The CCSD is a non-profit social policy and research organization. Its Disability Information Sheets, available at www.ccsd.ca/drip/research/, are based on Statistics Canada data and looked at those reporting a mental, physical or sensory disability.

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