Pregnant mom angry at OHIP delay
October 30, 2009
Trish Crawford
LIVING REPORTER
Iryna Ivaniv worries that a bureaucratic nightmare has put her unborn twin boys at unnecessary risk.
The Canadian citizen was denied OHIP coverage on Oct. 21 after being told she had not proven to the government's satisfaction that she's been in Ontario for the past three months.
After inquiries by the Star, she was notified Thursday that OHIP cards for her and her boys, aged 2 and 5, will soon arrive. But Ivaniv is furious that she was put through anxiety and fear.
"I could have had a miscarriage," says Ivaniv, 28, who is due on March 4. "I was so stressed. I was in a high-risk pregnancy with no health-care coverage."
The three-month waiting period is a requirement both for new Canadians and those who return after extended periods away. Ivaniv had been living in Ukraine since 2006.
She returned to Ontario on July 21 to live with her parents, deliver her twins and sponsor her Ukrainian husband to come to Canada.
Although she provided numerous documents to show that she is both a Canadian citizen and has been living in Ontario for three months, Ivaniv was told she hadn't sufficiently established her residence. She was also told to appeal the decision, which she did.
One of the reasons Ivaniv was so concerned about her pregnancy is that the identical twins share a placenta, which puts them at risk of a potentially dangerous medical condition called "twin to twin transfusion syndrome."
Surgeons sometimes operate on the babies in the womb to stop the blood from flowing from one to the other, a situation that imperils both babies. It is a rare but serious condition.
Her family doctor, Bohdan Pich, concerned about her high-risk pregnancy, sent a letter to OHIP's eligibility department saying, "I find it unimaginable that her health and the health of her twins be put in danger by OHIP."
Contacted by telephone, Pich said he has seen Ivaniv each month and not charged her because her pregnancy is high-risk and she needs to be seen by specialists. He blasted bureaucrats "who blindly apply the rules as they see them. She needs medical attention."
Ivaniv says she was asked for a rental agreement, pay stubs and proof her children are enrolled in school. But she co-owns the home she lives in with her parents, isn't working because of her high-risk pregnancy and her children are too young for school and have not yet received required vaccinations. After further conversations with health department officials and the Star's inquiries, her documentation was deemed sufficient.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Long Term case says 70 per cent of the appeals are granted, usually upon provision of additional documentation.
Toronto Star