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Help Suzanne Aucoin
Nov 14, 2007 - The St. Catharines Standard
Suzanne's legacy: Turning health system 'on its head'
Cancer-care advocate Suzanne Aucoin has left a powerful legacy of improvements to
an ailing health system, says Ontario's ombudsman.
"Her challenges to the system led to changes that ended up being far wider and
deeper than I think she ever imagined," Andre Marin told The Standard Tuesday.
Aucoin, 37, of St. Catharines, died Sunday - four years after she was diagnosed with
terminal colorectal cancer.
"The last time I spoke to her, there was a real sense that she had turned the system
on its head and had accomplished something," Marin said.
Marin became familiar with Aucoin's fight for equitable access to cancer-fighting drugs
last November.
At the time, Aucoin had been battling OHIP to recoup tens of thousands of dollars she
paid for the intravenous colon cancer drug Erbitux in Ontario and New York state.
Aucoin argued provincial health officials mistakenly turned down her request for
out-of-country funding to receive the drug in October 2005, forcing her to pay for it
herself.
Not only did Health Ministry officials reject Aucoin's claim for reimbursement, but she
was also turned down by Ontario's Health Services Appeal and Review Board.
Marin launched an investigation into Aucoin's case, ruling in her favour last January.
In a highly critical report on the ministry's failures, Marin recommended Aucoin be
repaid about $76,000 for her drug treatment costs, plus legal fees. He also called for
an overhaul of the ministry's out-of-country health benefits program.
"Suzanne was just relentless in refusing to accept that the government could be so
goofy and nasty at the same time," Marin said.
"It's her strong-headedness that led to such strong changes."
A review of Ontario's out-of-country health benefits program has been completed by
external consultants, the Health Ministry said.
"That report is currently under review in the ministry. We hope to finish in the near
future," ministry spokesman David Jensen said.
Jensen didn't provide a time frame when the internal review of the consultant's report
will be finished.
"Once that review is completed, certain steps will be taken ... and the report itself
will be released," he said.
But Marin said the Health Ministry has already made some changes aimed at making the
out-of-country benefits program easier for patients to navigate.
The ministry has developed a website for out-of-country claims to improve patient
access to information and provide physicians more background details on the program,
he said.
Ministry staff are also developing clinical guidelines to improve the decision-making
process, Marin said.
"Some of those things are done, other things are on the way to being done," he said. "I
think what we've seen is a system which is a lot more responsive to the patients."
Marin said he's satisfied patients who follow Aucoin's route out of the country for
medication not funded in Ontario will face fewer hurdles. "It doesn't mean it's
impenetrable, but I think she's saved a lot of people from going down that same
agonizing bureaucratic maze," he said.
pdowns@stcatharinesstandard.ca
Suzanne's legacy: Turning health system 'on its head'
Cancer-care advocate Suzanne Aucoin has left a powerful legacy of improvements to
an ailing health system, says Ontario's ombudsman.
"Her challenges to the system led to changes that ended up being far wider and
deeper than I think she ever imagined," Andre Marin told The Standard Tuesday.
Aucoin, 37, of St. Catharines, died Sunday - four years after she was diagnosed with
terminal colorectal cancer.
"The last time I spoke to her, there was a real sense that she had turned the system
on its head and had accomplished something," Marin said.
Marin became familiar with Aucoin's fight for equitable access to cancer-fighting drugs
last November.
At the time, Aucoin had been battling OHIP to recoup tens of thousands of dollars she
paid for the intravenous colon cancer drug Erbitux in Ontario and New York state.
Aucoin argued provincial health officials mistakenly turned down her request for
out-of-country funding to receive the drug in October 2005, forcing her to pay for it
herself.
Not only did Health Ministry officials reject Aucoin's claim for reimbursement, but she
was also turned down by Ontario's Health Services Appeal and Review Board.
Marin launched an investigation into Aucoin's case, ruling in her favour last January.
In a highly critical report on the ministry's failures, Marin recommended Aucoin be
repaid about $76,000 for her drug treatment costs, plus legal fees. He also called for
an overhaul of the ministry's out-of-country health benefits program.
"Suzanne was just relentless in refusing to accept that the government could be so
goofy and nasty at the same time," Marin said.
"It's her strong-headedness that led to such strong changes."
A review of Ontario's out-of-country health benefits program has been completed by
external consultants, the Health Ministry said.
"That report is currently under review in the ministry. We hope to finish in the near
future," ministry spokesman David Jensen said.
Jensen didn't provide a time frame when the internal review of the consultant's report
will be finished.
"Once that review is completed, certain steps will be taken ... and the report itself
will be released," he said.
But Marin said the Health Ministry has already made some changes aimed at making the
out-of-country benefits program easier for patients to navigate.
The ministry has developed a website for out-of-country claims to improve patient
access to information and provide physicians more background details on the program,
he said.
Ministry staff are also developing clinical guidelines to improve the decision-making
process, Marin said.
"Some of those things are done, other things are on the way to being done," he said. "I
think what we've seen is a system which is a lot more responsive to the patients."
Marin said he's satisfied patients who follow Aucoin's route out of the country for
medication not funded in Ontario will face fewer hurdles. "It doesn't mean it's
impenetrable, but I think she's saved a lot of people from going down that same
agonizing bureaucratic maze," he said.
pdowns@stcatharinesstandard.ca