Pubdate: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 Source: Chronicle Herald (CN NS) Copyright: 2011 The Halifax Herald Limited Contact: http://thechronicleherald.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180 Author: Brian Medel Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada) NEW WELFARE RULES WORRY RESEARCHER N.S. Policy May Harm Those With Chronic Illnesses A move by Nova Scotia's Community Services Department to streamline delivery of some social assistance benefits may have increased pain and suffering for some recipients with chronic illness, one researcher suggests. Under employment support and income assistance regulations, a government case worker may have allowed a person on social assistance to receive a special drug or therapy not usually covered if it was needed to alleviate pain and suffering. That section was repealed last month, said Barbara Blouin, who wrote reports in the 1980s about single mothers and the poor on social assistance. "What people are entitled to (is) fairly narrow already; a supervisor has had the ability to override (regulations) when she or he thinks there's just cause," said Blouin. "This is relating to people with chronic illness or disabilities and their need for medicine or some kind of medical treatment or even medical marijuana. "If it's on the (approved) Pharmacare list, they should be able to get it. If it's not on the Pharmacare list, then the only way they could get it is for the supervisor to override that. "When the supervisor loses that ability, that changes the whole thing." Janet Rathbun, director of income assistance for the Community Services Department, acknowledged that the regulation referring to alleviating pain and suffering had been repealed. "The supervisor still has the ability to protect the health and safety of an applicant or preserve the dwelling. . . . We just renumbered those," she said. "The reason we took it out is (because) pain and suffering was never clearly understood and staff and clients had asked us what that meant. Certainly our staff don't have the medical expertise to determine that." Blouin said the wording was clear and questioned the need to clarify it more. She said the Community Services Department has increased the pain and suffering of many with chronic illness by restricting access to some drugs, medical marijuana and other treatments. The Health Department determines what drugs are required for a social assistance recipient and the Community Services Department covers the cost, Rathbun said. If a drug is on an approved list, it is covered. If not, the Health Department has an exception process and a different medication may be approved, upon a request from a physician, Rathbun said. About 75 per cent of social assistance recipients require prescription medications for ongoing therapy or one-time requirements, said Rathbun. She said about 29,000 households -- 44,000 people -- receive social assistance benefits. A list from the department says some items have been provided to clients that were not mentioned in regulations in 25 cases. One is identified as "grow-op equipment." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom