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VICTORIA – Health Minister George Abbott today introduced the Health Care Costs Recovery Act, which will provide government with the legal tools necessary to recover millions of dollars annually in health-care costs from third party wrongdoers and their insurers.
“Our new legislation will allow government to recover health-care costs from legal claims such as faulty medical equipment and other wrongdoing involving third-parties, including class-action lawsuits,” said Abbott. “The legislation will strengthen government’s ability to more effectively hold these individuals and companies more accountable and ensure that those who commit the wrongdoing, and not the taxpayers, pay for the past and potential future health-care costs for impacted individuals.”
The act will allow government to expand the scope of health-care costs it can recover to include medical care, hospital services, ambulance services, some continuing care services, and potentially PharmaCare and other costs covered by provincially funded programs.
British Columbia is presently the only province that does not have this type of health-care cost recovery legislation. Provisions have been made in the legislation to ensure that in any successful lawsuit or settlement where insufficient funds are available, payment of the affected individual’s claim takes priority over payment to the province.
“Two important points made by British Columbians in the Conversation in Health were a call for greater accountability within the health-care system and the need for fiscal sustainability of our public health care system,” added Abbott. “Ensuring the Province is entitled to recover health-care costs for personal injuries stemming from the negligence or wrongdoing of a third party is one small part of ensuring an accountable and sustainable public health care system.”
The act has requirements for both beneficiaries and their insurers to alert the ministry about potential personal injury claims involving health-care costs. The act also includes significant provisions to protect the privacy of beneficiaries who are making health-care claims.
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Communications Director Ministry of Health 250 812-5571 (cell) 250 952-1887 (media line) |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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