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Help Suzanne Aucoin
Feb. 1, 2007 - The St. Catharines Standard
St. Catharines Standard (ON)
Viewpoint, Thursday, February 1, 2007, p. A10
Exposing the cruelty that Aucoin faced
You have to figure it takes a lot to shock Andre Marin. After all, he has
been an ombudsman for almost 10 years, first with the Department of National
Defence and, since April 2005, with the Ontario government. It's his job to
help the victims of bureaucratic bungling and indifference.
But clearly even Marin was stunned by how cancer fighter Suzanne Aucoin of
St. Catharines was treated by the Ministry of Health.
Marin's investigation determined that Aucoin, diagnosed with terminal colon
cancer three years ago, was subjected to a "cruel game" when she attempted
to obtain out-of-country coverage for drug treatment that could prolong her
life. The ministry's confusing, rats-in-a-maze approach to dealing with sick
people left the ombudsman stunned, but not speechless.
Eloquent in his scathing critique, Marin said: "There's a whole
cloak-and-dagger (approach) by the Ministry of Health. It's as if they hand
a dying cancer patient a Rubik's Cube and they've got to figure it out
themselves."
OHIP initially denied Aucoin out-of-country coverage for the intravenous
drug Erbitux, which is not commercially available in Ontario. The ministry
was kind enough to send her a form letter - complete with errors -
explaining the rejection.
"This idea of sending out a form letter to a Stage 4 cancer patient, it's a
calamity," Marin said.
Aucoin decided to pay for the drug with money raised by supporters, spending
$56,000 to have the medication administered in West Seneca, N.Y., and later
in Hamilton under a federal special access agreement.
After OHIP changed its mind and agreed to coverage last March, Aucoin sought
to be reimbursed for the money she had spent on the drug, but was turned
down in November.
That's when Marin decided to investigate this horror story of administrative
ineptitude and cruelty, focusing on the original denial of out-of-country
funding.
"They put her through the wringer for absolutely no good reason," Marin
said. "What attracted my attention was the bad treatment that was given to
the complainant - the kind of misery that she was put through."
"This case is stunning in many ways, not the least for the many missteps and
miscommunications by ministry officials," he said.
A contrite Ministry of Health has apologized to Aucoin, although Health
Minister George Smitherman should have been the one delivering the mea
culpa, not the underling who was assigned the task.
In addition, the government has agreed to reimburse Aucoin the $56,000 she
spent on Erbitux, as well as $19,000 in legal fees. The ministry will also
review the out-of-country health-coverage program and take immediate steps
to improve it.
As for Aucoin, she's pleased she can now concentrate on her health instead
of fighting the government. But thanks to her tenacity, other cancer
patients may be spared a trip through the Health Ministry's bureaucratic
meat grinder.
As Andre Marin said: "Suzanne Aucoin is like the modern-day Erin Brockovich.
She fought city hall and won."
Category: News
Uniform subject(s): Diseases, therapy and prevention; Laws and regulations
Length: Medium, 405 words
© 2007 St. Catharines Standard (ON). All rights reserved.
St. Catharines Standard (ON)
Viewpoint, Thursday, February 1, 2007, p. A10
Exposing the cruelty that Aucoin faced
You have to figure it takes a lot to shock Andre Marin. After all, he has
been an ombudsman for almost 10 years, first with the Department of National
Defence and, since April 2005, with the Ontario government. It's his job to
help the victims of bureaucratic bungling and indifference.
But clearly even Marin was stunned by how cancer fighter Suzanne Aucoin of
St. Catharines was treated by the Ministry of Health.
Marin's investigation determined that Aucoin, diagnosed with terminal colon
cancer three years ago, was subjected to a "cruel game" when she attempted
to obtain out-of-country coverage for drug treatment that could prolong her
life. The ministry's confusing, rats-in-a-maze approach to dealing with sick
people left the ombudsman stunned, but not speechless.
Eloquent in his scathing critique, Marin said: "There's a whole
cloak-and-dagger (approach) by the Ministry of Health. It's as if they hand
a dying cancer patient a Rubik's Cube and they've got to figure it out
themselves."
OHIP initially denied Aucoin out-of-country coverage for the intravenous
drug Erbitux, which is not commercially available in Ontario. The ministry
was kind enough to send her a form letter - complete with errors -
explaining the rejection.
"This idea of sending out a form letter to a Stage 4 cancer patient, it's a
calamity," Marin said.
Aucoin decided to pay for the drug with money raised by supporters, spending
$56,000 to have the medication administered in West Seneca, N.Y., and later
in Hamilton under a federal special access agreement.
After OHIP changed its mind and agreed to coverage last March, Aucoin sought
to be reimbursed for the money she had spent on the drug, but was turned
down in November.
That's when Marin decided to investigate this horror story of administrative
ineptitude and cruelty, focusing on the original denial of out-of-country
funding.
"They put her through the wringer for absolutely no good reason," Marin
said. "What attracted my attention was the bad treatment that was given to
the complainant - the kind of misery that she was put through."
"This case is stunning in many ways, not the least for the many missteps and
miscommunications by ministry officials," he said.
A contrite Ministry of Health has apologized to Aucoin, although Health
Minister George Smitherman should have been the one delivering the mea
culpa, not the underling who was assigned the task.
In addition, the government has agreed to reimburse Aucoin the $56,000 she
spent on Erbitux, as well as $19,000 in legal fees. The ministry will also
review the out-of-country health-coverage program and take immediate steps
to improve it.
As for Aucoin, she's pleased she can now concentrate on her health instead
of fighting the government. But thanks to her tenacity, other cancer
patients may be spared a trip through the Health Ministry's bureaucratic
meat grinder.
As Andre Marin said: "Suzanne Aucoin is like the modern-day Erin Brockovich.
She fought city hall and won."
Category: News
Uniform subject(s): Diseases, therapy and prevention; Laws and regulations
Length: Medium, 405 words
© 2007 St. Catharines Standard (ON). All rights reserved.