Ontario cutting government run out of country travel insurance program
By: The Canadian Press Thursday, May 2, 2019 << Previous PostNext Post >> Ontario cutting government run, out of country travel insurance program Share Tags: OHIP, Travel Insurance TORONTO – Ontario is pushing ahead with a plan to eliminate basic out-of-country travel insurance, saying the program is very costly and does not provide value to taxpayers.The insurance currently covers out-of-country inpatient services to a maximum of $400 per day for a higher level of care, and up to $50 per day for emergency outpatient services and doctor services.Health Minister Christine Elliot announced the decision to scrap the program on Wednesday, following a six-day public consultation.The province spends $2.8 million to administer approximately $9 million in claim payments through the program every year.“We know that is not good value for Ontarians,” Elliott said. “People should be making their own plans to obtain coverage, which can be obtained quite inexpensively and provide them with full compensation if they sustain any health problems while out of the country.”The change is expected to come into effect Oct. 1.Elliott said a broader public outreach effort will be needed to remind travellers to purchase health insurance before they leave the country.More news: Le Boat has EBBs along with its new 2020 brochure“I think many people didn’t even know there was any level of coverage before,” she said. “But it is important and we will have a public campaign to advise people because we don’t want people to have that unfortunate shock if they have a health problem while out of country, to have those costs which can be quite extraordinarily high.”Opposition politicians have said ending the program will hurt snowbirds and frequent travellers.NDP Leader Andrea Horwath criticized the move, saying it was part of the province’s larger plan to reduce health-care spending.Green party Leader Mike Schreiner said people deserve to have health coverage wherever they are, at home or travelling abroad.“Changes to the program are essentially equivalent to taking away health insurance from people,” he said.Last week, the Canadian Snowbird Association urged the government not to make the move and said it would not only impact the snowbird community who travel south during the winter months, but also cross-border shoppers and anyone planning a family vacation.More news: Sunwing offers ultimate package deal ahead of YXU flights to SNU, PUJIn her 2018 report, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said the Ministry of Health processed an average of 88,000 out-of-country claims per year over a five year period and paid an average of $127 per claim.Lysyk also noted the high administrative costs of the program, but said they arise because staff must check varying physician services fee rates and process claims manually. She recommended that the government seek ways to reduce administrative costs by adopting a single reimbursement rate for all health services obtained out-of-country.She also recommended the government bolster efforts to inform Ontarians of the limit on reimbursement rates under the program and on the need to purchase private health insurance before travelling.
5 treatments for adult scoliosis He pointed out that he’s traveled the world, met U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, appeared on international panels with Tunisian ministers and is followed online by thousands, yet has never been contacted by a political party.Instead, he said, people like him become involved in the burgeoning civil society, but in times of economic crisis, activism pays little and many have become consumed with just making a living.Some disenfranchised youth haven taken to the streets in riots, loosely linked to a growing movement of Salafis, or ultraconservative Muslims trying to impose strict interpretation of Islam on what was long a largely secular society.“The opposition’s role is important to push the party in power to self-criticism and revise its policies,” said Slaheddine Jurchi, a longtime political analyst and rights activist. “There is a problem of political culture, there is an absence of the culture of coalitions and working together and there are problems of egoism and clashes of personalities among the heads of parties.”In last year’s elections, the disciplined Islamist Ennahda took 37 percent of the vote and 89 seats in the 217-person assembly, three times more than the next best performer. It then joined in a coalition with two other liberal parties to form an unassailable majority of 138 seats. Tunisia has had a smoother transition than its turbulent neighbors. Voters chose between a bewildering array of parties in Tunisia’s first free elections in October in what was described at the time as a sign of democracy’s exuberance, with the assumption that later elections would feature fewer, more sober choices.Halfway between those landmark elections and the next round of voting early next year, the political scene in this North African nation of 10 million remains a fractured sea of small parties that share little in common aside from dissatisfaction with the moderate Islamists who dominated the last election.Part of the problem is that the established opposition parties have been unable to reach out to the young and often secular Tunisians who were instrumental in taking to the streets and overthrowing longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.These Tunisians, many known for their deep immersion in online social networks, have been almost totally excluded from the political scene, which is dominated by politicians from the older generation.“In Tunisia, we live in the era of the old, not the young,” said Slim Ayedi, 32-year-old blogger, journalist and activist. “When I look at the Constituent Assembly, I see old people, old and incompetent. The deputies who don’t have email, can’t use the internet and don’t speak three languages won’t go far.” 5 people who need to visit the Ultrastar Multi-tainment Center Essebsi’s party may only increase the competition among Ennahda’s opposition. “Its immediate result will be to weaken the other parties on the center left because they are all going after the same electorate,” cautioned analyst Gheriari.(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) Comments Share The fear is that in this power vacuum, Ennahda will rule unchecked and start repeating the behavior of the former ruling party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally of Ben Ali, which dominated all aspects of political and economic life before it was disbanded.Critics say Ennahda is already running roughshod over the opposition, antagonizing the unions, quarreling with civil society and showing little interest in building democratic institutions.The key to the next election will be the new voters, since more than 40 percent of eligible voters weren’t registered in October, as well as the third of the electorate, some 1.3 million voters, that voted for parties that didn’t make it into the assembly.But unless the opposition dramatically ups its game, chances are the Islamist machine will snap these up as well.Maya Jribi, one of the only women leading a political party in the country, admits that her secular, center-left Progressive Democratic Party made a lot of mistakes in the last election.Believed to be a frontrunner at the time, the historic opposition party came in a distant fifth place with just 16 seats. The party has now united with several others to form the Jumhouri or Republican Party, with 21 seats total and hopes to join up with more to create a more viable opposition. More Valley freeways to be closed this weekend for improvements Top Stories 
Think Tank analyzes the second round of Democratic debates New high school in Mesa lets students pick career paths “We called on the other parties to create the conditions allowing the alternation of power but they didn’t do enough . so we have created a movement open to all political forces in the country,” he told The Associated Press.Essebsi has also opened the door to former members of the ruling party and at a rally in March, thousands came to pay him homage, including many figures from Ben Ali’s time _ something that has left him open to accusations he wants to revive the old regime.Despite his advanced age and that of many of his supporters, Essebsi insists his will be a party of youth and will be open to the activists who oppose the regime but don’t have a political party of their own. How he integrates ex-regime figures will be key to any future he has with the rest of the opposition.With the year-long mandate for the elected assembly running out in October, Essebsi said the only future for the country is a consensus government run by a cabinet of technocrats.“(Consensus) is a fairly difficult idea for the people here to accept,” he said. “They have difficulty understanding what I say, but I am sure this is the only solution.”How he integrates ex-regime figures will be key to any future he has with the rest of the opposition, and already Jribi has expressed reservations about uniting with his party. Sponsored Stories Associated PressTUNIS, Tunisia (AP) – Tunisia’s fledgling democracy is threatened by a weak opposition that isn’t offering a viable alternative to the well-organized Islamists in power, and discontent is taking the form of angry riots with extremist overtones instead.The return to a single, overbearing ruling party has grave implications for Tunisia and the countries across the region watching its journey to democracy after it kicked off the Arab Spring. “The clear lesson from the Oct. 23 elections is that the democrats must move together, united towards elections. What that formula is, however, is not yet clear,” she said.The party will also try to deepen its roots in the Tunisian countryside with more grassroots activists and “develop a discourse that is much simpler than before,” Jribi added.Political scientist Ghazi Gheriari of Tunis University noted that one alliance of leftist parties, the Democratic Political Axis, only won seats in the capital and among the expatriate community in France.“The opposition has little penetration into the Tunisian countryside,” he said. “The results of this election showed two Tunisias, a Tunisia in tune with the opposition where it did respectably and the countryside where this opposition is not credible and has no voice.”In the past two weeks, a new political party known as Nida Tunis or Tunisia’s Call, has appeared, led by Caid Beiji Essebsi, who at 85 years-old embodies the phrase “veteran politician” with years of service under Tunisia’s first post-independence president Habib Bourguiba.He was the country’s interim prime minister from March 2011 until the elections and has said that his new party will reunite the opposition and restore balance to the nation’s politics. Arizona families, Arizona farms: working to produce high-quality milk
Seychelles begins visa-free travel with UAESeychelles President James Michel has commended the excellent relationship between the Seychelles and the United Arab Emirates, as a visa waiver agreement between the two countries comes into force this week.“The coming into force of this the visa waiver agreement will herald a new period in travel with ease for the Seychellois people and also enhance greater people-to-people contact, trade, and tourism between our two countries. It bears testimony to the unique friendship between Seychelles and the UAE. We have very special ties based on mutual respect, understanding, and support, and these will be further strengthened by the development of our tourism and trade exchanges,” said President Michel.The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi in November last year, in the presence of President Michel during a working visit to the UAE.Now that the internal procedures of the UAE and the Seychelles have been completed, the agreement will be effective as of July 16, 2015.Henceforth, Seychellois nationals will be allowed to enter exit or transit through the United Arab Emirates without a visa and fees for a stay of up to 90 days.It is important to note that Seychelles citizens will not be entitled to work or practice any professional or study thereof, without observing applicable laws corresponding to these activities in the United Arab Emirates.Seychelles is the first African country to sign an agreement of this kind with the UAE.Source = Seychelles Department of Tourism
On Tuesday 9 June, LATTE attended the HotelTonight Australian launch party.HotelTonight is a mobile-only booking app promising ‘last minute deals on great hotels’.The launch consisted of a progressive dining experience, held in the Cell Block Theatre at the National Art School in Darlinghurst.LATTE and other guests were welcomed into the ‘secret hotel’ and handed a cocktail, The 13th Floor, an alluring mix of gin, vermouth and fresh lemon juice.The 13th Floor cocktail – Rocket K PhotographyAs other guests arrived, LATTE enjoyed baked zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, lemon zest and broad beans and a pithivier of duck confit with foie gras, caramelised eschalots and Pinot Noir.Stefan Cordiner, Regional Director for HotelTonight Asia Pacific, ushered guests through to a pop-up restaurant, where all guests dined on confit lab and jerusalem artichoke terrine, as Stefan explained the partnership between HotelTonight and hotels across Sydney, where they assist by filling rooms last minute that hotels previously would not have been able to fill.Pop-up Restaurant – Rocket K PhotographyAiming to assist users to ‘Plan Less and Live More’, the longer you wait before booking a hotel room, the app promises the better the rate will be, with savings of up to 50 per cent on unique stays at an impressive range of hotels.HotelTonight primarily focuses on bespoke and unique properties. Properties are listed under either hip, luxe, solid or basic tags to aid users in selecting their ideal accommodation.The evening concluded with a selection of deserts, cheeses and wines, as guests spun a wheel with the chance of winning a HotelTonight experience at a property of their choice.LATTE representative, Cara Wagstaff, was even fortunate enough to win a $50 voucher to use towards their first HotelTonight stay.Pop-up Hotel Room – Rocket K Photography
Mahwah, NJ – Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle MagazineThe all-new Range Rover Evoque will make its global public debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show on the 30th September 2010.In keeping with the ethos of Range Rover, the Range Rover Evoque delivers premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, performance and renowned Land Rover multi-terrain capability into a more compact package.“These are exciting times for our business,” said CEO Dr. Ralf Speth. “Not only will the Range Rover Evoque increase our worldwide market share, it helps to define a new segment for premium compact SUVs that are more sporting and stylish.”Sustainability The Range Rover Evoque is the lightest, most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever. It is a strong demonstration of the marque’s commitment to environmental sustainability.“This is a highly relevant and contemporary vehicle that will suit the modern needs of our customers,” said Land Rover’s Managing Director Phil Popham. “The Range Rover Evoque will appeal to a new group of customers who may not have considered a Range Rover before.”Lightweight construction techniques ensure optimum efficiency is achieved. A new state-of-the-art engine comes with turbocharging and direct injection. The Range Rover Evoque also adopts low CO2 systems such as Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) and is built to maximize end of life recyclability.Design The new vehicle’s dramatic exterior is based directly on the LRX concept car, which drew worldwide acclaim for its fresh interpretation of classic Range Rover design cues.“The Range Rover Evoque marks a bold evolution of Range Rover design. With its dramatic rising beltline, a muscular shoulder running the length of the car, and a distinctive taper to the floating roofline, the Range Rover Evoque adopts a very dynamic profile with a powerful and athletic stance,” said Land Rover Design Director, Gerry McGovern.Interior quality The cabin of the Range Rover Evoque is lavishly appointed with premium quality materials and an elegance befitting of a Range Rover interior.A lower driving position offers a more sporting feel but retains the important Command Driving Position. Headroom is generous compared with traditional sporting sedans, despite the low-profile coupe roofline.Dynamics On the open road, the Range Rover Evoque offers a polished driving experience that combines dynamic and sporty handling with responsive, effortless performance and refinement.Murray Dietsch, director of Land Rover programs, said, “We’ve tuned the Range Rover Evoque’s chassis and Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) to deliver precise and responsive steering at lower speeds, making the Range Rover Evoque nimble and fun to drive.”Capable All Terrain The Range Rover Evoque offers customers a permanent all-wheel-drive system, which delivers outstanding performance and traction on multiple surfaces, such as snow, gravel and varied off-road surfaces.Drivers who drive their Range Rover Evoque off-road will be reassured to know that, in addition to extremely generous ground clearance, the car has aggressive break over, approach and departure angles. The new vehicle’s formidable multi-terrain potential is enhanced by the latest version of the company’s signature Terrain Response® system.Powertrain The turbocharged powertrain of the Range Rover Evoque offers smooth and responsive performance, blending four-cylinder efficiency with six-cylinder refinement and power.A new 240bhp, 2.0-litre Si4 engine combines direct fuel injection, turbocharging and twin variable valve timing for exceptional drivability and fuel efficiency.Innovation The Range Rover Evoque benefits from the same high-end innovative technologies as the larger Range Rover models. An intuitive control system and touch-screen display combines a stylish, uncluttered layout, state-of-the-art functionality with ease of use.Connectivity options include Bluetooth® hands-free mobile phone and audio streaming, plus a range of USB and auxiliary inputs for iPod® and other portable devices.The Range Rover Evoque is the first Range Rover model to offer breathtaking new sound systems developed in partnership with the high-end audio specialist Meridian. The premium Meridian offering is an 825W, 17-speaker system that delivers the ultimate in surround-sound performance.Other features available to Range Rover Evoque customers include: • Surround Camera System with five digital cameras, including a reversing system • Dual-zone automatic climate control • Hard drive navigation system • FM/AM/Sirius® tuners, with single CD player with the ability to rip CDs to the hard drive • Rear seat entertainment package, with 8-inch (203mm) video screens, digital wireless headphones and touch screen remote control • Keyless entry system • Powered tailgate • Adaptive headlamps with auto headlamp dipping • Heated windshield, front seats and steering wheelThree design themes ‘Pure’ combines the stunning concept-car exterior with a stylish, clean interior in neutral colors. Soft-touch wrapped materials on the major surfaces contrast with the metal brushed aluminum trim.‘Prestige’ is the ultimate in Range Rover luxury, combining a bespoke exterior that includes unique, 19-inch wheels and sparkling metallic details, an optional 20-inch wheel, with an interior that is almost entirely leather-wrapped.‘Dynamic’ brings a bolder exterior with 19-or 20-inch wheels and unique bumpers, sills, grille and tailpipes for a more assertive, confident stance. Contrasting roof and spoiler colors are available, while the premium sports interior offers sports seats with splashes of bright contrast color.The Range Rover Evoque will be manufactured at Land Rover’s multi award-winning Halewood plant in Merseyside, UK. The car will go on sale in more than 160 markets worldwide from Fall 2011. Indicative pricing starting from around $45,000.www.landrover.com
AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to TwitterTwitterShare to FacebookFacebookShare to RedditRedditShare to 電子郵件Email Partial list of winners at 76th Golden Globe Awards by The Associated Press Posted Jan 6, 2019 5:43 pm PDT
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A list of winners at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards, presented Sunday in Beverly Hills, California, by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:FILMBest Motion Picture Animated, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”TELEVISIONActor, TV Series, Musical or Comedy: Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method.”Actor, TV Series, Drama: Richard Madden, “Bodyguard”Series, drama: “The Americans.”___For complete coverage of the Golden Globes visit: www.apnews.com/GoldenGlobeAwardsThe Associated Press
An 18 per cent stake held by the now defunct Laiki Bank in Bank of Cyprus (BoC) could be transferred to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), reports said.According to Cyprus News Agency (CNA) sources, the Resolution Authority in Cyprus (Central Bank, Finance Ministry, Securities and Exchange Commission), which administers the percentage held by Laiki in the share capital of the BoC, could transfer its voting rights to EBRD.Citing its sources, CNA said EBRD could function as investment banker to manage the percentage of Laiki, but also as a strategic investor for the purchase of this share, or it could buy new shares issued by the BoC, should the lender decide to increase its share capital.At the same time, it is thought that an investment from EBRD would boost confidence in BoC and bring expertise to the bank.The matter is expected to be discussed this week during a visit by Finance Minister Harris Georgiades at the EBRD’s headquarters in Warsaw.The EBRD scenario seems to present itself as an alternative to the sale of shares to hedge funds to secure liquidity, although the latter seems to have the backing of the Troika of international lendersCyprus has agreed on a €10 billion bailout which provided for Laiki to be shut down and seize, or bail-in, deposits over €100,000 to recapitalize BoC.Parts of Laiki have been absorbed by BoC.According to the deal, the Resolution Authority will instruct Laiki’s administrator to entrust by end-January 2014, the voting rights of these shares to a well-recognised and independent consulting or auditing firm or an international institution.You May LikeLivestlyChip And Joanna’s $18M Mansion Is Perfect, But It’s The Backyard Everyone Is Talking AboutLivestlyUndoPopularEverythingColorado Mom Adopted Two Children, Months Later She Learned Who They Really ArePopularEverythingUndoGundry MD PrebioThrive Probiotic SupplementCardiologist: This Is What Happens When You Eat GlutenGundry MD PrebioThrive Probiotic SupplementUndo Pensioner dies after crash on Paphos-Polis roadUndoCruise passenger airlifted to Paphos hospitalUndoRemand for pair in alleged property fraud (Updated)Undoby Taboolaby Taboola
