Health Committee on Nov. 20th, 2018

[Stacey Livitski]

When we're having to not give our medication and then suffer the consequences of the pain of being in ketoacidosis and the pain of living with neuropathy.... If it were that easy, and we had everything up front and didn't have to put ourselves in those positions, I think everyone would be a heck of a lot better.

[Karen Kemp]

You are endangering lives. One in eight admissions to the hospital is diabetic-related, and that's just increasing. The system right now—

[Charlene Lavergne]

It's broken.

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Also, after 20 years as an ER doctor, I can tell you that was my lived experience. It reflects pretty much what the statistics are on that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Okay. That completes our time.

On behalf of the committee, I want to thank you for your testimony. It's been really compelling. It's really hands-on and exactly what you're living with. It's actually testimony that could have been heard at the pharmacare hearings we had as well. It's also very helpful for our diabetic study.

Is there anything we can help you with? The CRA application...? It seems unfair that you have not been able to make an application. Is there something we can do? Does anybody have any idea of how we can help her to just make the application? We can't help you with the decision.

[Charlene Lavergne]

My doctor has to do it, and unless I can convince her that it's worth her while and her time—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Ms. Kemp and Ms Livitski, do you qualify for the CRA disability?

[Stacey Livitski]

We qualify, but I still had issues. It's not—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

You do qualify, though.

[Stacey Livitski]

We qualify.

[Karen Kemp]

The doctor is holding back. When I got the form in, she was kind of like, “Oh, another one.” I said, “What do you mean?” She said, “Every third patient's bringing in these forms now to sign.” However, she signed mine, because she knew I have type 1 diabetes and I need this.

She feels, as she told me, that people are trying to take advantage of this. You mentioned maybe having a different form for people who have diabetes. I don't know about that, because then everyone will say, “Well, we want a different form.”

[Charlene Lavergne]

Or maybe just a section?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Mr. Masse, did you have a question or maybe an answer?

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Yes. Your physician needs to fill out the form. Sometimes physicians charge for those as well.

[Charlene Lavergne]

It's $44 or $46.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

My suggestion, Mr. Chair, although it's not my committee, is that you perhaps ask your researchers to come back with the process that one goes through for the disability tax credit application and the potential fees and cost structure for it. Then you can disseminate that.

[Stacey Livitski]

That is a great point.

[Charlene Lavergne]

They're paying for those.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We'll do something.

Another thing is that if we have three witnesses, and two qualify and one has said that she can't even apply.... Perhaps you should be able to apply.

[Charlene Lavergne]

It would be nice.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

We'll think about this. We'll talk about this afterward.

[Charlene Lavergne]

I could really use it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Thank you very much, everybody.

[Charlene Lavergne]

Thank you for having us here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bill Casey]

Thanks to the witnesses and thanks to the committee. It was another wonderful meeting.

The meeting is adjourned.