Why one doctor advises patients to file a tax return
An unconventional treatment
Is it really possible that there’s a link between a person’s overall well-being and their financial well-being? At least one Ontario doctor thinks so. That’s why he’s been at the forefront of a new initiative at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto where his patients not only receive outstanding healthcare, they can also receive financial advice. Given that it’s now tax season the advice is simple – file your income tax return and you could get more money.
Filing a tax return can be a powerful tool, especially for patients with low- to moderate-incomes because
they could qualify for a number of Ontario tax credits and benefits. Individuals and families may be eligible
regardless of whether they have received social assistance or did not earn any income in 2015. Evidence
suggests the more financially sound a person is, the less stress they will feel. When you take away the
stress on a person’s body, by even a little, the overall health of that individual improves. This goes beyond
mere speculation – there is science to support this theory.
Dr. Gary Bloch, family physician with St. Michael’s Hospital, Assistant Professor with the University of
Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine, and founder and chair of the Ontario College of
Family Physicians’ Committee on Poverty and Health, says there’s a link between the health of his patients
and their income.
“Most major health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and mental illness, occur more
often and have worse outcomes among people with lower incomes,” he says. “While I continue to advise
patients to exercise and eat healthier food, this tax season I will also spend time prescribing tax returns.
Income is a powerful determinant of health.”
According to Dr. Bloch one of his patients works full time earning under $20,000 per year to support herself
and her young daughter. By filing a tax return, she could be eligible to receive thousands of dollars more a
year from the provincial and federal governments to help with her living expenses. “That money would go a
long way to make things a little better for her, including her health,” says Dr. Bloch.
The Ontario government provides a number of tax credits and benefits to eligible individuals and families,
including single-parent families and seniors, through the personal income tax system. Ontarians must file a
tax return to ensure they receive credits and benefits that may be available to them. Some of the Ontario
tax credits and benefits include:
- Ontario Trillium Benefit –provides relief to low- to moderate-income fam
ilies and single people with
sales and property taxes and helps people living in the North with their higher energy costs. - Ontario Child Benefit – helps low-income families with up to $1,356 a year for each child under 18
- Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant – provides up to $500 a year to help seniors with
the cost of their property taxes is April 30th
The Ontario Ministry of Finance is sending a supply of brochures and posters to a number of primary care
offices in March, including public health units and nurse practitioner-led clinics, asking that the information
be made available to patients. The goal is to help educate people about Ontario’s tax credits and benefits
and direct them to Ontario’s tax credit calculator to find out how much money they may get back.
The poster is also available on the ministry’s website in a number of languages, including English, French,
Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, Punjabi, Italian and Spanish.
People can learn more about Ontario tax credits and benefits at ontario.ca/taxcredits.
“Income is a powerful determinant of health – more so than many medications I prescribe,” notes Dr. Bloch. His suggestion to doctors, “This tax season try prescribing a tax return – it may help treat more symptoms than you realize.”
