( P A R T C D e c i s i o n u n d e r A p p e a l T h e d e c i s i o n u n d e r a p p e a l i s t h e M i n i s t r y o f S o c i a l D r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n d e c i s i o n d a t e d 1 3 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 e l i g i b l e f o r a s s i s t a n c e w i t h t h e m e d i c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o t h e c r i t e r i a s e t o u t i n S c h e d u l e C , s e c t i o n 2 ( 1 ) ( f ) o f t D i s a b i l i t i e s R e g u l a t i o n ( E A P W D R ) b e c a u s e t h e o r t h n u r s e p r a c t i t i o n e r i n h e r l o c a l a r e a a n d w a s n o t a s p t h e E A P W D R a n d r e q u i r e d b y s . 2 ( 1 ) ( f ) ( i i ) o f S c h e d P A R T D R e l e v a n t L e g i s l a t i o n E A P W D R , s e c t i o n 6 2 a n d S c h e d u l e C , s e c t i o n 2 ( 1 ) EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )( ? P E A L # e v e l o p m e n t a n d S o c i a l I n n o v a t i o n ( t h e m i n i s t r y ) w h i c h d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t n h e a l t h s u p p l e m e n t b e c a u s e s h e d i d n o t m e e t h e E m p l o y m e n t a n d A s s i s t a n c e f o r P e r s o n s w i t h o t i s t s h e w a s r e f e r r e d t o w a s n o t a m e d i c a l o r e c i a l i s t a s d e f i n e d u n d e r S c h e d u l e C , s e c t i o n 1 o f u l e C o f t h e E A P W D R . I ( f ) . I
( ( ..J PEAL :/I I PART E-Summary of Facts The ministry was not in attendance at the hearing. After confirming that the ministry was notified, the hearing proceeded under section 86(b) of the Employment and Assistance Regulation (EAR). The following evidence was before the ministry at the time of reconsideration: • The appellant is designated as a Person with Disabilities (PWD) and eligible to receive general health supplements. • A letter dated 23 July 2014 by another physician, a medical consultant, to the appellant's physicians stating that the proposed plan to go ahead with splinting is reasonable and to proceed and make the referral to the certified orthotist who does this in the major city nearest to the appellant's home town. • A referral note dated 14 August 2014 by the appellant's physician, a medical practitioner, to a certified orthotics clinic stating that the appellant had a "moderate severe OA features predominantly carpo metacarpal joints of both hands" and indicating that Orthotics would be indicated in those circumstances, to assess the case and make recommendations. • On 18 September 2014, the appellant completed and signed a Request for Non-Local Medical Transportation Assistance form to travel to a major city for an appointment with a certified orthotist that was scheduled for 15 October 2014. • A business card for the certified orthotist with whom the appellant had make the appointment. • A doctor's note dated 6 May 2010 by the appellant's physician stating that she had "extreme vasoconstriction of her periferal vascaluture (?) triggered by cold conditions" and that her medical condition is affected by her housing condition. • A 2-page application for a disability parking permit dated 17 October 2014, signed by the appellant and supported by her physician. • A receipt dated 28 October 2014 indicating that the disability parking permit was issued to the appellant and paid for. • In her Request for Reconsideration dated 3 November 2014, the appellant indicated that her local doctor had referred her to a certified orthotics clinic in the nearest major centre as there was no such specialist closer to her home town. In her Notice of Appeal dated 20 November 2014, the appellant stated that such medical professional was not available in her home community and that she had to go to the nearest major centre to have an appointment with a specialist as a result of a referral by her physician. At the hearing the appellant testified that she first contacted the ministry on 7 August 2014 and was given a reference number. She called again, left messages and the ministry called her back a few times and she discussed the issue with ministry staff and advised them that the appointment was scheduled for 15 October 2014. On 10 October 2014, the ministry advised her that someone was working on her file and that they would contact her. On 14 October 2014, the day after a long weekend, the appellant checked her mail but nothing had come and the same day the orthotics clinic called her to confirm her appointment for the next day and at 4:07 PM, the ministry called her to inform her that her request for medical transportation was denied. The appellant sta�ed she was very upset, panicked, and did not want to cancel her appointment as it was extremely important for her and she made alternate arrangements with a friend for the next day to drive her and attend to her appointment at the closest major centre that is about 2 ½ to 3 hour away in good conditions. On 15 EAAT 003(10/06/01)
( O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4 s h e t h e n a t t e n d e d t o h e r a p p o i n t m e n t r a n s p o rt a t i o n t o h e r f r i e n d . S h e s t a t e d t h a t t h e c e r o r t h o t i c s t h e c o s t o f w h i c h s h e b e l i e v e d w o u l d b e c T h e p a n e l d e t e r m i n e d t h e a d d i t i o n a l o r a l e v i d e n c e a n d A s s i s t a n c e A c t a s i t w a s i n s u p p o r t o f t h e r e c o p r o v i d e d c o n s i s t e n t a d d i t i o n a l i n fo r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e t h e m e d i c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s u p p l e m e n t . EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )( P P E A L # . t , a s s c h e d u l e d a n d o w e s t h e c o s t o f t i f i e d o r t h o t i s t s h e s a w w a s p r e p a r i n g a q u o t e f o r o v e r e d b y t h e m i n i s t r y . w a s a d m i s s i b l e u n d e r s . 2 2 ( 4 ) o f t h e E m p l o y m e n t r d s b e f o r e t h e m i n i s t e r a t r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n a n d e v e n t s s u r r o u n d i n g t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r
( P A R T F R e a s o n s f o r P a n e l D e c i s i o n T h e i s s u e u n d e r a p p e a l i s w h e t h e r t h e m i n i s t ry ' s d e a s s i s t a n c e w i t h t h e m e d i c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n h e a l t h s u r e f e r r e d t o w a s n o t a m e d i c a l o r n u r s e p r a c t i t i o n e r i s p e c i a l i s t u n d e r s . 2 o f S c h e d u l e C o f t h e E A P W D R r e a s o n a b l y s u p p o r t e d b y t h e e v i d e n c e . T h e a p p l i c a b l e l e g i s l a t i o n c a n b e f o u n d a t S c h e d u l e a s a s p e c i a l i s t : 1 I n t h i s S c h e d u l e : . . . " s p e c i a l i s t " m e a n s a m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r r e c o g n i z i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e b y l a w s m a d e b y t h e b o a r d f B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 9 ( 1 ) ( k . 3 ) a n d ( k . 4 A n d s e c t i o n 2 ( G e n e r a l H e a l t h S u p p l e m e n t s ) i n d i c a t r a n s p o r t a t i o n a s s i s t a n c e : 2 ( 1 ) T h e f o l l o w i n g a r e t h e h e a l t h s u p p l e m e n t s t h a t f a m i l y u n i t t h a t i s e l i g i b l e u n d e r s e c t i o n 6 2 [ g e n e r a l ( f ) t h e l e a s t e x p e n s i v e a p p r o p r i a t e m o d e o f t r a n s p o ( i ) a n o f f i c e , i n t h e l o c a l a r e a , o f a m e d i c a l p r ( i i ) t h e o ff i c e o f t h e n e a r e s t a v a i l a b l e s p e c i a l i h a s b e e n r e f e r r e d t o a s p e c i a l i s t i n t h a t f i e l d p r a c t i t i o n e r , ( i i i ) t h e n e a r e s t s u i t a b l e g e n e r a l h o s p i t a l o r r e d e f i n e d i n s e c t i o n 1 . 1 o f t h e H o s p i t a l I n s u r a n ( i v ) t h e n e a r e s t s u i t a b l e h o s p i t a l a s d e f i n e d i s e c t i o n 1 o f t h e H o s p i t a l I n s u r a n c e A c t , p r o v i d e d t h a t ( v ) t h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n i s t o e n a b l e t h e p e r s o n P r o t e c t i o n A c t o r a g e n e r a l h o s p i t a l s e r v i c e u ( v i ) t h e r e a r e n o r e s o u r c e s a v a i l a b l e t o t h e p T h e m i n i s t r y a r g u e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t e l i g i b e c a u s e t h e s p e c i a l i s t s h e w a s r e f e r r e d t o i n a c i t y r e c o g n i z e d s p e c i a l i s t b y t h e C o l l e g e o f P h y s i c i a n s a T h e a p p e l l a n t a r g u e d t h a t s h e w a s u n f a i r l y t r e a t e d b t h e a p p o i n t m e n t w i t h t h e c e r t i f i e d o rt h o t i s t o n 7 A u g p a p e rw o r k b y 1 9 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4 b u t w a s n o t a d v i a p p o i n t m e n t a n d w a s l e ft a t t h e l a s t m i n u t e t o m a k e s h e h a d b e e n r e f e r r e d t o t h e c e rt i f i e d o r t h o t i s t b y 2 o r t h o t i c s f o r h e r h a n d s a s r e q u i r e d b y h e r m e d i c a l c i n t e r n e t a n d f o u n d t h a t t h e c l i n i c s h e w a s r e f e r r e d t o o rt h o t i c s . EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )( ? P E A L # c i s i o n t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s n o t e l i g i b l e f o r p p l e m e n t b e c a u s e t h e c e r t i f i e d o r h o t i s t s h e w a s n h e r l o c a l a r e a a n d b e c a u s e s h e w a s n o t a w a s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e l e g i s l a t i o n o r C o f t h e E A P W D R t h a t f i r s t d e f i n e s w h o q u a l i f i e s e d a s a s p e c i a l i s t i n a f i e l d o f m e d i c i n e o r s u r g e r y o r t h e C o l l e g e o f P h y s i c i a n s a n d S u r g e o n s o f ) o f t h e H e a l t h P r o f e s s i o n s A c t . t e s a t p a r a g r a p h 1 ( f ) w h o i s e l i g i b l e fo r m e d i c a l m a y b e p a i d f o r b y t h e m i n i s t e r i f p r o v i d e d t o a h e a l t h s u p p l e m e n t s ] o f t h i s r e g u l a t i o n : . . . r t a t i o n t o o r f r o m a c t i t i o n e r o r n u r s e p r a c t i t i o n e r , s t i n a f i e l d o f m e d i c i n e o r s u r g e r y i f t h e p e r s o n b y a l o c a l m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r o r n u r s e h a b i l i t a t i o n h o s p i t a l , a s t h o s e f a c i l i t i e s a r e c e A c t R e g u l a t i o n s , o r n p a r a g r a p h ( e ) o f t h e d e f i n i t i o n o f " h o s p i t a l " i n t o r e c e i v e a b e n e f i t u n d e r t h e M e d i c a r e n d e r t h e H o s p i t a l I n s u r a n c e A c t , a n d e r s o n ' s f a m i l y u n i t t o c o v e r t h e c o s t . b l e f o r m e d i c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s u p p l e m e n t o t h e r t h a n t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s l o c a l a r e a w a s n o t a n d S u r g e o n s o f B C . y t h e m i n i s t r y b e c a u s e s h e h a d a d v i s e d t h e m o f u s t 2 0 1 4 a n d t h a t s h e h a d f i l e d t h e a p p r o p r i a t e s e d o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n u n t i l t h e e v e o f h e r t r a v e l a r r a n g e m e n t s o v e r n i g h t . S h e a r g u e d t h a t m e d i c a l p r a c t i t i o n e r s a n d t h a t s h e n e e d e d t h e o n d i t i o n . S h e a l s o a r g u e d t h a t s h e s e a r c h e d t h e w a s a c e r t i f i e d c l i n i c a n d t h e y w e r e s p e c i a l i s t s i n
( T h e p a n e l n o t e s t h a t t h e m i n i s t r y w a s a d v i s e d o f t h m o n t h s p r i o r t o t h e s c h e d u l e d a p p o i n t m e n t a n d t h a t h e c o n d i t i o n s p o s e d b y t h e m i n i s t r y , i n p a r t i c u l a r s h t h e n e a r e s t a v a i l a b l e s p e c i a l i s t i n t h e f i e l d o f o r t h o t i p o s s i b l e g i v e n t h e s c a r c i t y o f i n t e r u r b a n t r a n s p o r t a t a v a i l a b l e t o t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s f a m i l y u n i t t o c o v e r t h e c t h e p r e d i c a m e n t o f b e i n g i n f o r m e d o f t h e m i n i s t r y ' s Y e t , t h e m i n i s t ry ' s a u t h o r i t y i n t e r m s o f m e d i c a l t r a v S c h e d u l e C o f t h e EA P W D R a n d , a s i n t h e c i r c u m s t a k e p l a c e o u t s i d e t h e l o c a l a r e a o f t h e p a t i e n t , t h e s u p p l e m e n t fo r t r a v e l t o t h e n e a r e s t s u i t a b l e h o s p i t a a n d o n l y i f t h e s p e c i a l i s t i s r e c o g n i z e d i n a c c o r d a n c C o l l e g e o f P h y s i c i a n s a n d S u r g e o n s o f B C . I n t h i s c a c e r t i f i e d o r t h o t i s t a n d t h a t t h e r e w a s n o e v i d e n c e C o f t h e EA P W D R . T h u s , t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f f i c e r h a d p a n e l f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y r e a s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e d t h e l e g i s l a t i o n a n d c o n s e q u e n t l y , r e a s o n a b l y d e t e r m i n e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s u p p l e m e n t t o t h e a p p e l l a n t . T h e r e f o r e t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e m i n i s t r y ' s d e c i s i o n w a e n a c t m e n t i n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s o f t h e a p p e l l a n t a n EAA T 0 0 3 ( 1 0 / 0 6 / 0 1 )( ) P E A L # I e a p p e l l a n t ' s c o n d i t i o n a n d n e e d t o t r a v e l o v e r 2 t t h e a p p e l l a n t m a d e e v e r y e f f o r t s t o c o m p l y w i t h o w i n g t h a t t h e s p e c i a l i s t s h e w a s r e f e r r e d t o w a s c s , t h a t t h e e s t i m a t e d c o s t s w e r e t h e l o w e s t i o n i n h e r r e g i o n a n d t h a t t h e r e w e r e n o r e s o u r c e s o s t . I t i s u n f o r t u n a t e t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t w a s l e f t i n d e n i a l o n t h e e v e o f h e r a p p o i n t m e n t . e l i s v e r y l i m i t e d a s p r o v i d e d b y s . 2 ( 1 ) ( f ) , t a n c e s o f t h e a p p e l l a n t , w h e n m e d i c a l t r a v e l m u s t m i n i s t r y m a y o n l y p r o v i d e m e d i c a l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n l o r t o t h e o f f i c e o f t h e n e a r e s t a v a i l a b l e s p e c i a l i s t e w i t h t h e b y l a w s m a d e b y t h e b o a r d f o r t h e a s e , t h e p a n e l f i n d s t h e s p e c i a l i s t i n q u e s t i o n w a s s h e w a s a s p e c i a l i s t a s d e f i n e d b y s . 1 , S c h e d u l e n o d i s c r e t i o n i n a p p l y i n g t h e l e g i s l a t i o n a n d t h e c e r t i f i e d o r t h o t i s t w a s n o t a " s p e c i a l i s t " u n d e r t h e d i t h a d n o a u t h o r i t y t o p r o v i d e m e d i c a l s a r e a s o n a b l e a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e a p p l i c a b l e d c o n f i r m s t h e d e c i s i o n .
You are being directed to the most recent version of the statute which may not be the version considered at the time of the judgment.