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The Barrie Examiner Wednesday May 12 197627 MPP EXPLAINS Why OHIP premiums up By ARTHUR EVANS MPP Slmcoe Centre Why did your government increase OHIP premiums The Opposition parties rage that it was totally un necessary to increase OHIP premiums In fact the NDP has argued that health insurance premiums should be abolished and the financing of hospital care should come straight out of general rovincial revenues In other words make it as painless as possible to the patient and even encourage the impression that health services are free Well let me say it would be the easiest route to take in the sense that it would be highly popular to abolish premiums not to increase them for any reason whatsoever But it would be most irresponsible especially when your government is working hard to contain health care costs as part of its overall restraint program While money is an im portant factor in developing good level of people ser viceswhether it be health education or social ser vicesit is not the only factor to ensuring the total success any program If that were true then pouring money into project would solve all the worlds worries NOT EASY TASK What must be ac complished is the wise and ef ficient spending of public fun coupled with close scrutiny to maintaining existing levels service Not an easy task but not an impossible one If man could work to get him self to the moon then he can get greater value for every health care dollar Let me illustrate why health care costs must be restrained In 197071 the cost of insured health services doubled from $1230 million to 9476 million Assume the same level of costs and ignore the resent rate of inflation and 1985 lth care would cost $11 billi about 90 per cent of 91 total Ontario 497677 That is un thin bl lot of explanations can be provided for those ever rising costs including greater use health services greater population covered by OHIP an expanding volume of medical claims and the greater costs of hospital care In the case of hospitals ser vice costs have risen 106 per cent over yearsfrom $794 million in 197071 to $1634 million in 197576 These rising costs can be attributed to increased wages and salaries for nurses and hospital employees and to rising energy and food prices Specific hospital unit costs lave increased total spending from $105 to $198 over years Just the opposite is true with respect to medical ser vices Over the past years the total number of OHIP claims have risen from 32 million to 51 million Placed on an individual basis it means one claim every two months instead of one claim every three months five years ago CONTROL COSTS Controlling health care costs does not simply mean reducing the number of sur glus active treatment beds ut includes placing con traints on hospital operating budgets limiting capital financing controlling the volume of laboratory tests and making more efficient use of laboratories The results will limit in sured health care services to 12 per cent in the coming year as compared to the average annual increase of 15 per cent for the past five years Against this background our citizens can appreciate more fully the need to control health care costs and to con tinue OHIP premiums Even with the increases new widened premium assistance will provide for one out of every four Ontario residents paying less For example family of four will save $132 where gross annual income falls below $8225 As have said before your government could have ignored this concern and per mitted health care to con sume more and more of our total budget But later on somewhere down the road we would all pay more dearly for this inaction The combined balance of limiting health care costs and increasing OHIP premiums not increased for five years achieves the purpose of maintaining an excellent health care system within tightened restraints Cruelty to animals said horror PINCHER CREEK Alta CP It takes involvement to learn just how cruel people can be to animals says Beatrice Gamble of this southwestern Alberta town did not realize the extent of the problem until became involved said the health food store operator But on ce did began to encounter horror stories Animals are thrown away in boxes sacks or just let iloose in the country to fend ifor themselves Some of the animals are even purebred There seems to be run on valuable cattle dogs right now She cites Dachshund female with puppies tied in sack and boiled alive and litter of kittens found with their feet cut off The kittens had to be destroyed Mrs Gamble said she and two other Pincher Creek women affiliated themselves with the Crowsnest branch of the Society for the Prevention Cruelty to Animals and now the Pincher Creek group numbers about 15 We bggan by looking for abandon dogs and cats but now people are turning in un wanted pets to me she said Sometimes they sim ly drop them over my back en oe WILL FIND HOMES Some of the members of Mrs Gambles group have farms where the animals stay and she is determined to find homes for the pets usually through nswspaper ads We will eep them in definitely she said We will not put them away unless they are sick or abused be 0nd recall he said she cant un derstand why people dont look for another home for their unwanted ts instead of just throwingt em out also cant understand why they dont have an animal spayed if the are worried about litters she said If they do this they have good animal around for years have three dogs and 12 cats and love every one of them find if have an aban doned cat around for couple weeks cant bear to part with it The group raises funds through bake sales and white elephant sales in Mrs Gam ble store but transportation costs and the $10 fee for stories spaying animals before releasing them to new owners usually comes from group members HOBART By BEULAH BARR Former Medonte reeve Boyd Miller returned from Soldiers Memorial Hospital Orillia on Sunday May Dr William Butt spent Wednesday at his country home Mr and Mrs Harold Hill have taken up residence in Mike Frawleys house on the 4th Concession of Medonte Mr and Mrs Carl Robert son of Orillia were Sunday afternoon visitors at Deep dale Farm Mr and Mrs Lorne Fowler visited the Barrs on Sunday evening Sunday afternoon July will see the reunion of former school teachers and students of Hobart School at the former school and grounds now owned by Mr and Mrs Jack Drury The Drurys have kindly donated the building and yard for the occasion All participants are asked to br ing lunch plates and if possi ble table and chairs Tea and coffee will be supplied Our little feathered friends have been going ahead with their building ventures and have set up housekeeping Good luck to them Gets award TORONTO CP Con stable John Preece of Metropolitan Toronto police has been named the Toronto Junior Board of Trades gliceman of the month the ard said today In March Constable Preece arrested man wanted by Peel regional police at Toronto Inter national Airport after recognizing the man as suspect he had encountered during an investigation TlFlCATES PRINCE ALBERT Sask CP Eighteen prisoners at Saskatchewan penitentiary have received certificates as alcohol addiction counsellors They took threeweek cour se coordinated by the Nechi Institution an educational trganization that deals with drug and alcohol abuse CER THE CONFIDENT OFFER Whether you buy one of our new 1976 cars or light trucks or even one of theirs by July 31 st 1976 you could Win your choice of $12000 boat or MiniMotorhorne or $10000 in cash for Visiting and registering at your Ford or Mercury dealer first 10 chances to win your choice of Why is Ford of Canada maki lecai ng this confident offer 151 int ytill It iil tittt lvll Mercurydealer ilyouie in tile illilili lot new W71 caror 116a an rule tltriitili impressed ttrut it tilirony illtlt or iviiywxie lioiu any 111 tlt nix ilittti illiii yolt Set 0111 ltttiltlitl iiLlli It In ks youll be really iuiprewti iiii tire quality ttiliLIl into ouriars tire real aluc lot your purt liasiuu loliar anti tiie lull range oisiexanti itttitit is tosuil iuost tltlltliitttislliltiiJlltlQliIiitl1iiitilliltgttti with their cars lroiu totiielHXI look iiit better look Vcie tiiat conlitient nuioit anti quality oi tllxliiililii in out tiitspuuly tttii1i al liutoanti iioiitat uiousI liuutlei itiiti tllti oulincntais Vcrtronlititut tiiat ouccyou tfillitlttliltiliill titeroiupeti tiou youll leti £ttit ut tiiats li were making liiisoller lie olilttllut litilioiu ivtlitl oltanatiu Visit your ioiti or Mercury dealer iiclorc you sign any older Register and compare lltf ittl you RCURY A$12000 Grew Boat This sporty ircw 85201 is sharp ii it craft equipped with Mcr Truisei 13315 iip motor comertibie top and much more Ora $12000 Funcmft MiniMotorhome iiiis iuncrall MiIiiMoloriioine is conversion oltiie iord ii 51 window van and is ideal for family travel equipped with such features as convertible lining tabledouble bed sink stove and lots ol cupboard space 01$10000 Cash 51 Heres how you could win it be eligible to win one of the 10 prizes to be awarded nationaiiyjust isit lord or Mercury iealer coinpicte li ii NllililiiiiR regis tration form and then beforeluiy liist 1976 purchase any make tours or tiieirs olncw i970 car or light truck onipiete contest details are at your Ford or Mercury dealer Iontcst cioseanly 31st 76 Heres when you could win iiiree lucky winners will be irawniime l5 ilie second draw will beuly for winners and the iinai winners will be drawn August ititii i976 The sooner you buy and enter the contest the more chances youll liaye olwinniiig because all entries tXttPi previous winners are eligible for all remaining draws So enter early Beforelyou sign an orderfor any make of car or ight truck up to 100001bs GVW visit your Ford or Mercury dealer it could be ourgreat chance to wm your choice of 12000 boat or MiniMotorhome or $10000 in cash Before you buyfliyl976 car or light truck be sure you come by your Ford orMercury dealer first