Christine Elliott, Minister of Health
Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance
Dear Ministers,
I am writing to show my support for funding epilepsy education and support programs as part of this year’s provincial budget. This investment is a simple way to reduce healthcare costs, address hallway medicine, and support people living with epilepsy.
Helping people with epilepsy, and their families, better manage their condition and deal with the many social and psychological challenges they face is at the core of what Community Epilepsy Agencies do.
Ontario’s Community Epilepsy Agencies provide a valuable contribution to our healthcare system, reducing unnecessary hospital use, saving the healthcare system money, and improving quality of life through education programs. Support programs assist those individuals and families who have longer-term or complex needs, such as living with epilepsy and autism or mental health issues.
However, these agencies receive no government funding for their core education and support programs and do not serve as many people as they could. By funding expanded programs through Ontario’s Community Epilepsy Agencies, the provincial government could save more than it spends on the program, through reduced unnecessary Emergency Room usage and inpatient admissions, while also opening up beds to address the hallway medicine crisis. These healthcare savings would not only pay for the program but produce an additional $9.5 million in savings over 4 years.
By funding epilepsy education and support programs, the provincial government can improve the quality of epilepsy care and reduce healthcare usage and costs.