As you all know, the cost of living and everything in our everyday has gone up. The products we carry to fit our customers, ie. raw materials, freight, labour, all have gone up.
Although we do our best to support our customers with a perfect fitting of a breast form, shaper and pocketed bras, the Ontario government has not supported women when needing prosthetics following breast surgery or breast development challenges.
ADP offers a reimbursement of $195 for a breast form and $105 for a Shaper. This policy has not been updated since 2006! If women do not have private insurance to cover the balance, this is nowhere near enough to assist them financially.
Recently, three other provinces have recognized the importance of supporting these women, and have increased coverage. Namely British Columbia, Quebec (offer full coverage every two years) and Nova Scotia.
It is time for Ontario to do the same.
The attached is a petition form stating a request for full coverage. If you agree that we all need to voice our concern, please print the form and return it if they also feel this is an important request.
The more signatures we gather, the better impact and attention this will receive. Amoena, BodyMed, and another retailers in Ontario started this petition a few years ago (before the pandemic) and we have gathered a few thousand signatures already.
We need more.
Please join us in this action so we can together make a difference for the women that we all care very dearly for.
Thank you for your support. Together we can make this change.
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TO the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
WHEREAS, currently in Ontario, women who have undergone surgery are eligible every two years, based on the anniversary purchase date, to receive $195 towards the purchase of a full prosthesis and $105 towards a partial prosthesis, when they access the Ministry of Health’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP) Breast Prosthesis Grant. When these women have personal insurance benefits, their insurance provider may or may not cover a % of the balance. Some insurance providers cover breast prosthesis every 5 years, others once in a lifetime, and others every two years.
WHEREAS, anyone receiving welfare, or social assistance, is eligible to receive $260 from ADP for a full prosthesis and $140 for a partial prosthesis, but nothing else. Since January 1st, 2013, anyone receiving social assistance is no longer eligible to receive the balance of the cost of the prosthesis nor do they qualify to receive the 2 mastectomy brassieres allowed per year. For many women, this results in them not getting prosthesis at all, which may create psychological and physiological (impairs spinal health) concerns that may aggravate over time, creating other series of health struggles.
WHEREAS, it would be to the benefit of women in Ontario, to receive complete coverage for either a full or partial prosthesis. To not only help them feel whole again but also to prevent other health issues that may occur in their future that would result in additional health care costs.
WE, the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
The women of Ontario, who have had surgery such as a mastectomy or lumpectomy due to a diagnosis of breast cancer, removal of implants that have caused illness or from naturally imbalance developing of one or both breasts, should receive full coverage of breast prosthesis up to $500 for a full prosthesis and up to $280 for a partial prosthesis, every two years so to accommodate the change of a woman’s body and shape as they age.
So, should the Legislative Assembly of Ontario undertake to approve those amounts of coverage for the women of Ontario.
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Download and print the petition, return to BodyMed Boutique