Ontario freezes hospital parking rates, offers long-term discount

The Ontario government is freezing the price of parking at all the province'shospitals and forcing every hospital that charges more than $10 a day to offer discounts for longer-term users.

Health Minister Eric Hoskins made the announcement duringa news conference Monday at Women's College Hospital in Toronto.

"We believe that parking fees should not be a barrier to health care," Hoskins said. "This announcement will make a difference for those whoregularlyvisit our hospitals."

• CBC Marketplace: The impact of high hospital parking costs
• Hospital parking a "user fee" in disguise: CMAJ

Effective immediately, parking rates at all hospitals in Ontario are frozen fornext three years, and after that, priceincreases can be no more than the rate of inflation. Hoskins said

Starting Oct. 1, all hospitals with a parking rate of more than $10 per day must offerfive-day, 10-day and 30-day passes at a50 per centdiscount off the daily rate, with fullin-and-outprivileges.

Parking nets hospitals $100Myearly

SusanKuczynskitold the news conference that shehas seen the price of hospitalparking soar since she began frequent visits to Toronto's Hospital forSick Children in 1995, whenher daughter was diagnosed with cancer.

The changes "will go a long way toward alleviating this particular burden for families," saidKuczynski, who works as theparent liaison with the groupOntario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer.

Parking fees generate about $100 million annually for the province's hospitals,Hoskinssaid. He said the policy change will have a fiscal impact but could not immediately say what that would be.

The umbrella group representing the 150 hospitals in theprovince is not pleased with the announcement.

"For the past 10 years, government has actively encouraged hospitals to generate revenue to help fund hospital operations," said Anthony Dale, president of the Ontario Hospital Association, in a news release. "The decision to cut revenues could not come at a worse time."

Dale saidhospitals are now at a "turning point" after four years without an increase in base operating funding andface"extremely challenging" budget choices.

Kathleen Wynne's Liberals promised in the 2014 election campaign to cap hospitalparking fees.

The government estimates that 900,000 people will benefit from the discounted parking fees each year.

People across Canada including those living inBritish Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, andNewfoundland and Labrador have voiced their anger at the state of hospital parking costs.

A CBC Marketplace story on hospital parkingfound that more than half of Canadians saythe price affects how often they can visit a hospital, or for how long.