Bill No. 44 of 1955 A BILL TO AMEND THE HOSPITALIZATION AND TREATMENT SERVICES ACT NoTB This Bill amends Tke Hospitalizatidtn and Treatment Services Act, being

chapter 56 of the Statutes of Alberta, 1958. The hospitalization benefits heretofore authorized under The Hospitals Act are being increased by 10% in the case of municipalities and hospital districts that make provision for supplying both standard ward care and, special hospital services to their ratepayers and contract holders, under the prevailing hospitalization grant plan.

This requires an extensive amendment to the provisions now in force and as this Act is more appropriate for the inclusion of these provisions in any event, the authority for the hospitalization grants is being placed in and amended in this Act. This in turn, requires some slight formal changes to the existing Act, particularly in

section 2, the definition section.

Section 3 is amended for the purpose of preventing claims for hospitalization or treatment services by the dependants of persons who have recently moved into the Province but are re,ceiving old age assistance from the Province because of provincial reciprocal arrangements.

Section 5 is amended for the purpose of restricting the provision of hospitalization or treatment services to the recipients of old age assistance or a blind person's pension to those who, because of limited means, are not likely to be able to provide the same for themselves. A new section, being

section Sa, is added to enable the Minister to make a hospitalization agreement with a local authority instead of the hospital board in a case where the hospital is owned by the municipality.

Section 10 is amended to permit a limited subsidy being paid to organizations if they provide a plan of insurance covering medical, surgical and obstetrical services for the residents of Alberta. A new

section 11 is being introduced into the Act to make provision for the hospitalization grant plan. The present sections 11 and 18 are renumbered and

section 12 is repealed.

Section 12, the

section providing for regulations under the Act is replaced by a new

section 12 authorizing regulations of a more general nature. This Bill comes into force upon assent. J. W. RYAN, Acting Legislative Counsel. (This note does not form any pa;rt of tke Bill but is offered in. e~planation. of itB provisions.)

. BILL .. No. 44 of 1955

An Act to amend The Hospitalization and Treatment Services Act · · (Assented to '1955) HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative AssemQly of the Province of Alberta, enacts as follows: 1. The Hospitalization and Treatment Services Act, being

chapter 56 of the Statutes of Alberta, 1958, is hereby amended. ·

Section 2 is amended (

a) by striking out clause (a), (

b) by striking out clause (

c) and by substituting the following: ·

Section I IUD ended " (c) 'resident of the Province' means a person who "re~~tdent ot has resided in the Province for a period of the Provtnee'' twelve consecutive months out of the twenty- four months immediately preceding the date of ·· his application for hospital or treatment benefits ·" . ' ' (

c) by striking out clause (d) •

Section 8, clause (

a) is amended by striking; out sub- ::~~~· clause (

i) and by substituting the followi;ng: " (

i) assistance granted . by the Provin.ce of Alberta under The Old Age Assistance Act, to persons who resided in the Province for the greater portion of the three years immediately preceqing the date such assistance was awarded, or".

Section 5, clause (

a) is amended ::!~~~~ (

a) by striking out the word "and" at the end of sub- clause (ii), (

b) by adding immediately after subclause (ii) the following new subclauses: ~·(iii) The Old Age Assistance Act, or · "(iv) The Blind Persons Act, and". . 5. The following new

section is added immediately after New

section 6 : . . . . eectlon ••

Acreement where hOIIIJital municipally owned

Section 10 amended

Section 11 renumbered

Section U repealed

Section 11 renumbered New 11ectlollll 11 and 12 Interpre­ tation "approved hospital" "contract" "contract holder'' "local authority" "munici­pality'' "non­ratepayer" 2 "&. Where hospitalization is being provided for by agreement under authority of The Poliomyelitis Sufferers Act, The Ma,ternity Hospitaliza,tion Act, or this Act, the agreement may, notwithstanding the provisions of such Acts, be made with the local authority or the municipal hospital district board."

Section 10 is amended (

a) by relettering clause (

b) as clause (c), (

b) by adding immediately after clause (a,) the follow­ ing new clause: ·" (

b) may enter into an agreement with Medical Services (Alberta) Incorporated, or any in­ surance organization, company or society to pay a subsidy in an amount not to exceed one­ third of the cost of providing for the residents of Alberta a ·policy or scheme of insurance covering medical, surgical and obstetrical ser­ vices, on the condition that the cost of such policy or scheme of insurance to tiie purchaser is reduced in proportion to the amount of the subsidy, and".

Section 11 is renumbered as

section 13.

Section 12 is repealed.

Section 13 is renumbered as

section 14. 10. The following new sections are added immediately after

section 10 : "11.

(1) In this section, ''(a,) 'approved hospital' means a hospital for the time being in receipt of a per diem allowance under The Hospitals Act; " (b) 'contract' means an agreement entered into by a municipal hospital district board or a local authority with a non-ratepayer to provide the non-ratepayer and his dependants with hospital benefits at speci­ fied rates in an active treatment hospital; "(c) 'contract holder' means a person who has a subsist­ ing contract with the board of a municipal hospital district or with a local authority; "(d) 'local authority' means the body or person managing the affairs of a municipality; "(e) 'municipality' means any city, town, village, county, municipal district, improvement district, special area or any national park area established as a municipal hospital district under the authority of The Municipa,l Hospita,ls Act; " (f) 'non-ratepayer' means a resident of the Province who has established his abode in a muni~ipal hospi­ tal district or a municipality but who is not a ·ratepayer therein;

3 "(g) 'ratepayer' means any person liable to pay taxes in "ratepayer" respect of real property in a municipality or a municipal hospital district; "(h) 'special hospital services' means the hospital ser- "special ' th t d , ' 1 h 'tal , hospital VIces a are esignated specia ospi services services" by regulations; " ( i) 'standard ward care' means the bed accommodation "standard .. 'd d t ti t ' h 'tal h ' t ward care provi e o a pa en m a ospi w en pnva e room or semi-private room accommodation is not re- quested and includes the routine services ordinarily provided without extra charge, and "(i) 'regulations' means regulations made under sub- "regulations"

section ( 3) of this

section or

section 12 by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. "

(2) Notwithstanding anything in The Municipal Hospi- Relmburse­ tals Act but subject to subsection (4) and any regulations ment grants made under this Act, the Minister may reimburse by way of grants "(

a) in amounts up to fifty per cent of the hospital rates as fixed by the regulations, any municipal hospital board or local authority for any sums paid to a hospital or to their ratepayers or contract holders by the board or local authority in the providing of part or all of the cost of standard ward care, in an active treatment hospital, for their ratepayers or contract holders or the dependants thereof, and " (

b) in amounts up to sixty per cent of the hospital rates as fixed by the ·regulations, any municipal hospital board or local authority, for any sums paid to a hospital or to their ratepayers or contract holders by the board or local authority in the providing of part or all of the cost of standard ward care and special hospital services, in an active treatment hospital, for their ratepayers or contract holders or the dependants thereof. "

(3) The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make Regulations regulations providing the conditions under which reimburse- ments are to be made, the amount of reimbursements and the manner in which they are to be made, and in particular but without restricting the generality of the foregoing, may by regulation "(

a) require that plans and agreements or either be entered into by hospital boards and local authorities regarding the provision of all or part of the costs of standard wa-rd care and special hospital services, or either, for their ratepayers and contract holders, "(

b) prescribe minimum terms and conditions for any plans or agreements required by the regulations, " (

c) prescribe the manner in which accounts are to be submitted for hospitalization grants, "(

d) designate as special hospital services any or all of such hospital procedures, treatment services, care, tests, drugs, dressings and medication as are not in.cluded in standard ward care, and

General regulations Coming Into torce " (e) ·exclude i>ersons or classes of persons from the . classes of perso~s fat whom gran~ a~e to·.be paid. " ( 4) Reimbursement grants for standard ward care or for standard ward care and special hospital services shall be paid to the board of a municipal hospital district or a local ~uthority only if the board or local authority provides a plan or enters into agreements whereby . . "(a.) its non-ratepayer,s may obtain contracts for stan­ dard ward care or standard ward care· and special hospital servi~es, an~ " (

b) its ratepayers and contract holders mar receive . emerg~.n~Y. and J!l~i!!~ly ~erred hosp~tahzation. "12. The Lieutenant Governor .in Council may make regulat~o~s not inconsistent with this Act to carry Oijt the intent and objects of the Act or to provide for any matter or thing necessary to the e:tf~tive administration of thi~ Act and · ncit provided ·for in the provisio:Ds of the .Act.". 1i. T~s Act C~D;l~; into force on the .day upon which it is assented to. . · . - . . . · _ . I ·- ·

No. 44 THIRD SESSION 'TWELfTH LEGISLA'ruRE 4 ~LIZABETH II 1966 I ILL

An Act to amend The Hospitalization and Treatment Services Act Reoeived and read the Firat time ......................................... . Second time ....................................... . Third time ......................................... . HON. DR. CROSS Title: 1955 (12th, 3rd) Bill 44,

An Act to amend The Hospitalization and Treatment Services Act