EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Health Insurance Act. The Minister of Health and the General Manager for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan are required to collect data respecting the linguistic identity of insured persons and the extent to which insured persons need to communicate in French in connection with requesting and receiving insured services. The data is to be collected for the purpose of health services planning.

The Minister is required to ensure that health cards are in a form which indicates whether the insured person needs to communicate in the French or English language in connection with requesting and receiving insured services. The Minister is also required to ensure that health cards are in a form which allows for the use of French diacritics such as accents and cedillas.

Bill 264 2021

An Act to amend the Health Insurance Act respecting the collection of data respecting linguistic identity and to require health cards to display French diacritics and confirmation of linguistic identity

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

1 The Health Insurance Act is amended by adding the following section:

Collection of data re French language health services planning

4.2  For the purpose of health services planning, the Minister and the General Manager shall collect data respecting the linguistic identity of insured persons and the extent to which insured persons need to communicate in the French language in connection with requesting and receiving insured services, including,

  (a)  the number of insured persons whose mother tongue is French;

  (b)  the number of insured persons whose mother tongue is neither English nor French but who have particular knowledge of French as an official language and use French at home; and

  (c)  the number of other insured persons who prefer to request and receive insured services in French.

2 Section 11.1 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsections:

Linguistic identity on health card

(4.1)  The Minister shall ensure the form of the health card states whether the insured person needs to communicate in the French or English language in connection with requesting and receiving insured services.

French diacritics on health card

(4.2)  The Minister shall ensure the form of the health card allows for the use of French diacritics.

Commencement

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

Short title

4 The short title of this Act is the Health Insurance Amendment Act (Linguistic Identity and French Diacritics on Health Cards), 2021.