Bill 4 2005

An Act to amend the
Health Insurance Act

Note: This Act amends the Health Insurance Act. For the legislative history of the Act, see Public Statutes - Detailed Legislative History on www.e-Laws.gov.on.ca.

Preamble

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian men. At least one in every eight Canadian men is expected to develop the disease in their lifetime, and 27 per cent of them will die of it. In the year 2000 alone, prostate cancer caused the death of over 1,300 men in Ontario.

Up to 20,000 Canadian men are newly diagnosed every year. Some 5,000,000 Canadian men are currently in their prostate cancer risk years, which are between the ages of 45 and 70.

A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is one of the means used to look for prostate cancer. The PSA test alone does not give doctors enough information to distinguish between benign prostate conditions and cancer. However, the doctor will take the result of the PSA test into account when deciding whether to check further for signs of prostate cancer.

Therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1.  Section 11.2 of the Health Insurance Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Same

(1.1)  Screening for prostate cancer using the prostate-specific antigen test is an insured service for the purposes of the Act.

Commencement

2.  This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

3.  The short title of this Act is the Health Insurance Amendment Act (PSA Tests for Prostate Cancer), 2005.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Health Insurance Act by making screening for prostate cancer using prostate-specific antigen tests an insured service under the Act.