Health professionals and activists are urging the provinces to give newcomers immediate access to health insurance.
One activist group–OHIP For All–has written an open letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott pushing for free and accessible COVID-19 testing. Over 1,000 people and organizations have signed this letter.
Speaking on behalf of Elliott, Travis Kann said the province is “in the process of waiving the three-month wait period for OHIP coverage.”
It often takes at least three months for new arrivals to access provincial health care. Recent immigrants, temporary foreign workers, international students, undocumented workers and other arrivals still face long wait times for health insurance.
Dr. Arnav Agarwal from the University of Toronto estimated that between 200,000 and 500,000 people in Canada don’t have coverage.
Although most people recover from the coronavirus, people with underlying health conditions, the marginalized and the elderly face more risk.
Source: Thespec.com