Karley gets her milk, decision reversed province-wide

Carrie Bovingdon learned today that the Ontario Ministry of Health has reversed its decision to slash support for the pediatric powder her child Karley needs to survive.

"It's over," Bovingdon told us immediately after getting the call this afternoon.

Bovingdon was advised of the decision by health ministry officials just minutes before a planned afternoon news conference at which Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton was to tell Toronto reporters about Karley's plight.

John Letherby, the health ministry's media relations coordinator, told SooToday.com that the reversal also applies to any other child who needs Vivonex Pediatric Powder to survive.

Today's decision applies not only to the product used by Karley, but a variety of other nutritional products for which funding was also slashed this week.

To access earlier SooToday coverage of this story, please click here.

Previous payment amounts re-instated

"The ministry has decided to re-institute the previous payment amounts," says an Ontario Government fax being sent to pharmacists across the province.

"The ministry will continue to review the maximum payment amounts for the chemically defined and pediatric nutrition product categories and any changes to the payment amounts will be communicated in future," the fax advises.

The earlier decision was reversed 10 minutes after the Queens Park press gallery was advised that Hampton was about to make a statement about the issue, Sault MPP Tony Martin tells SooToday News.

Hampton then cancelled the appearance and issued the following news release:

*************************************************************************** NDP STOPS FUNDING CUTBACKS TO MILK FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

QUEEN'S PARK - Public pressure from the NDP has forced the Conservative government to end a secret plan to slash funding for a special food needed to keep severely disabled children alive, Leader Howard Hampton says.

"Thanks to Tony Martin, our Disabilities Critic, the Tories have backtracked on a despicable proposal," Hampton says.

On July 29, the Conservatives quietly changed the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary and cut funding for the special pediatric milk needed for children with multiple disabilities.

These children can only be fed through a tube in their stomach. This milk is the only form of food their bodies can accept - without it they cannot survive.

For example, Vivonex Pediatric Powder costs over $1,000 a month including taxes and pharmacy dispensing fees.

The Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services was planning to cut funding by 70 per cent and pay only $2.10 out of the $7.03 cost of a package of milk.

Most children require five or six packages a day.

"I went in to pick up my daughter's monthly supply [Monday] morning and couldn't believe it when I was handed a huge bill," said Carrie Bovingdon, a Sault Ste. Marie mother of a severely disabled child.

"Without this milk my daughter will die."

Bovingdon went to Sault Ste. Marie MPP Tony Martin after she was confronted with the withdrawal of provincial support.

On Tuesday, Martin called on the government to restore full funding and today the Conservatives caved in and agreed.

"We've got to be vigilant with this government. This time we caught them in the act but they will keep trying to stick the most vulnerable people with more and more user fees," said Hampton.

**************************************************************************** The following is the fax being sent by the Ontario Government to pharmacies across the province. SooToday.com has removed some technical information from the product tables to allow easier reading. The price following the product description is the cost paid by the province. In all cases, the province will resume paying the full cost of these products:

**************************************************************************** Nutrition Products

In Update 4 to Edition No. 37 of the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Formulary/Comparative Drug Index, effective July 29, 2002, changes were made to the nutrition products listed in the chemically defined category and pediatric category with regards to the maximum amount that is paid by the ministry for claims submitted for ODB recipients.

Upon further review, the ministry has decided to re-institute the previous payment amounts as noted below.

The Health Network System (HNS) has been updated to reflect this change.

The ministry will continue to review the maximum payment amounts for the chemically defined and pediatric nutrition product categories and any changes to the payment amounts will be communicated in future.

Chemically Defined Formulas:

Tolerex Powder - $4.17 Vivonex Plus Powder - $7.03 Vivonex T.E.N. - $7.03 Sando Source Peptide - $6.42 Vital HN Powder - $7.77 Peptamen Liquid - $7.71 Criticare HN Liquid - $ 8.74 Nestle Peptamen 1.5 - $10.26 Subdue Liquid - $6.51 Optimental Liquid - $7.30

Pediatric Formula:

Resourse Just for Kids - $1.55 Nutramigen Powder - $16.04 Alimentum Liquid - $5.65 Pregestimil Powder - $18.38 PediaSure Liquid - $2.47 Nutramigen Liquid - $8.31 RCF Liquid - $6.27 Neocate Powder - $42.50 Peptamen Junior Liq - $7.71 Vivonex Pediatric Pwd - $7.03 Nestle Nutren Jr Liquid - $2.25 Nestle Nutren Jr with Fibre Liquid - $2.25 Neocate One + Powder - $43.40

*************************************************************************** You heard it here first

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