Why we need a waitlist: A Health Care Example

It’s no mystery that the new Ontario Autism Program has more than a few problems.

The old program wasn’t perfect, but at least when a child finally made it to the top of the waitlist, what they received was therapy based on need. Under the new program, aiming to #ClearTheWaitlist, each child will be eligible for a much smaller amount, but receiving it in a shorter amount of time. It essentially takes a large central pot and spreads it very thin. If that wasn’t enough of a hit, kids will receive less if they’re 6+, or if their parents make more than 55k/year. The reasons why this is horrid is a whole other discussion (just ask Mike Moffatt)

I shared an example on Twitter a few weeks ago that I thought helps explain a major flaw in the goal to clear the waitlist, so I wanted to share that again here.

I’m an optometrist, so my thoughts are often on the eyes. Here’s how I saw it:

• Let me summarize the problems with the new OAP with a health care example that has a waitlist: Cataract surgery. If someone needs surgery, they are referred for it, knowing there will be a long wait for their surgery.
• The patient could pay privately and have it done quickly, or wait and have it through OHIP. Most people are not in the position to pay the high sum for private, so they wait.
• The wait list is long because there is a capacity issue. The public hospitals only have so much operating-time to give to surgeons, and only so many surgeons. Cataracts also happen to people of all ages and income, and that has zero impact on the treatment they deserve.
• They wait because they know when it’s their turn, they have a qualified professional ready to serve their needs, in a facility designed to help them, with all the necessary tools and expertise.
• While waiting, they may be struggling to see well, they may be frustrated. They could be losing their independence because they struggle with daily tasks they can’t do with poor vision right now, and they require support
• A wait list is not ideal, but if the government decided it wanted to clear the cataract waitlist, the fix is not to give everyone waiting for surgery a magnifying glass and call it choice. They need the actual surgery.
• The old OAP had problems, but Lisa MacLeod is blowing it up for a bandaid approach that fails everyone. It’s a complicated problem that may require a complex solution
• Doug Ford, Lisa MacLeod - Come back to the table, talk to experts/stakeholders/parents/teachers. Listen to your constituents, and let’s work toward a plan that can help kids with autism

#AutismDoesntEndatFORD #WeAreThe100Percent #idratherwait #relentless #onpoli