28 - Sunday, December 17, 1989 -

Heln’s
at hand

HELP’S AT Hand, a_ weekly
feature by the Norti Shore Infcz-
mation and Volunteer Centre, an-
swers questions about and
discusses such topics as govern-
ment policies and programs,
benefits, consumer and legal
rights, taxation and public ser-
vices.

Answers published: in this col-
umn are intended oniy as a genera!
guide and should not be applied to
specific individual cases without
further consultation.

kan

Question: 7 recently found out

North Shore News

—-a-

that my neighbor had been attend-

ing the seme physiotherapy cliaic
as I do, and in the course of con-
versation with her I mentioned
bow expensive I found the $5 user
fee that I have to pay for each of
may visits.

Imagine my surprise when she
told me that she doesn’t have to
pay the user fee because she is
recelving premium assistance for
tke B.C. Medical Services Plau.

I know that I have more money
coming in than she does, so I don’t
know whether I would be eligible
for this premium assistance too,
but I would really like to find out
more about it. Can you help me?

Answer: Assistance towards the
payment of the Medical Service
Plan premium was expanded in Ju-
ly 1989 to provide assistance to a
greater number of people. Addi-
tional levels are now available and
the eligibility criteria have been
revised.

There are now five levels of
premium assistance ranging from a
15 per cent reduction in premium
to 95 per cent premium assistance
for those with very low income.
Everyone who receives premium
assistance is exempt from paying
user fees for things like
physiotherapy, chiropractic,
pediatric and other treatments.

The level of assistance you can
receive depends on a calculation of
your ‘“‘adjusted net income’’
which, of course, is different for
each individual.

if you feel that you are living on
a low income and think you may
be eligible for premium assistance,
contact Medical Services Plan, Box
1606, Victoria, B.C. V6W 2X9,
telephone 683-7151 for an applica-
tion form.

The North Shore Information
and Volunteer Centre, telephone
985-7138 (local 6), can provide
seniors with assistance in under-
standing and completing these
forms.

Question: 1 recently took my car
te a garage for repairs which took
two days, and they lent me a
courtesy car ‘vhile my car was ir
the shop. They took an imprint of
may credit card when they lent me
tbe car, but when I took the cer
back they said that they had to
keep the imprint for three months.

f don’t feel very good about
them having access to my credit
card for that length of time. Are
they really allowed to do that?

Answer: After checking with the
Ministry of Labor and Consumer
Services all I can tell you is that
there is no legislation around this
issue. However, this is apparently
a common practice for car rental
firms to keep an imprint of a credit
card for two or three months after’
the car has been returned just in
case any fines, such as parking
tickets, show up later.

The North Shore Information
and Volunteer Centre, a United
Way agency, is located at 1060
Roosevelt Cres., North Vancouver,
B.C. V7P IM3, telephone 985-
7138. This column is prepared with
financial assistance from the
Notary Foundation.

2

A Tip this
Christmas

hree times a week, 52.
weeks a year, yOu | receve

News on your door-
step. You don’t
have to give
it mucn
thought. |
fact, you
may not even
know your carrier
because they don’t make
collections.

Think about it now. Your tip will be
money well spent because NEWS
carriers Know the value of money.
They are young people showing
initiative and responsibility. Rest
assured your tip will go a long way in
supporting these values.

Why not show your appreciation? A
tip at Christmas will make their day.
Cai! Distribution for the name of your
carrier.

They deserve to be
remembered too.

THE VOICE OF NORTH AND WEST VANCOUVER