News
New Brunswick Professor Proposes Reducing Out-of-Province Medical Coverage for Snowbirds
A New Brunswick academic suggests the provincial government shorten the duration of medical coverage for residents travelling outside the province to reallocate funds and potentially stimulate the local economy. This proposal aims to reduce government spending on out-of-province medical claims for individuals who spend extended periods elsewhere.
A professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Mario Levesque, has put forth a proposal for the Holt government to decrease the period of medical coverage for New Brunswick residents who spend winters outside the province. Currently, individuals from New Brunswick are eligible for 212 days of medical coverage annually when outside the province. Levesque suggests this period could be shortened to as few as 45 to 100 days, anticipating minimal public resistance. He argues that individuals able to reside or own property in another country could reasonably be expected to cover their own medical insurance. Similar measures have been explored in other Canadian jurisdictions, with Ontario previously seeking to eliminate all out-of-country medical benefits due to financial challenges. Levesque also posits that a reduction in coverage might encourage some residents to remain in New Brunswick during winter, thereby supporting local businesses through spending on goods and services.
Key Facts
- Mario Levesque, a professor at Mount Allison University, recommends that New Brunswick's government decrease the duration of out-of-province medical coverage for its residents.
- New Brunswickers currently receive 212 days of medical coverage per year when they are outside the province.
- The proposed reduction could see the coverage period shortened to between 45 and 100 days.
- Levesque believes this change could lead to decreased medical expenditures for the provincial government.
- He also suggests that a shorter coverage period might encourage some residents to stay in New Brunswick during the winter months.
- Increased winter residency could benefit the local economy, as these individuals would spend money at local businesses.
- The current 212-day out-of-province coverage aligns with limits set by other Canadian provinces.
- Existing coverage extends to emergency hospital care and urgent doctor visits for specific conditions such as fractures or cardiac events.
Primary Source
Research Sources
- Telegraph-Journal — N.B. should reduce health care coverage for snowbirds, says prof