A private members bill, named after a Windsor man who's final wishes could not be granted, has passed second reading in the Ontario Legislature.
Dan's Law is named after Dan Duma, who left Windsor to work in the Alberta oil fields. While living in Fort McMurray, he found out he had liver cancer and shortly after that was advised by doctors to return home to Windsor to spend his final weeks with friends and family.
Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky says he didn't qualify for OHIP coverage, so instead of spending the time he had left at home, he was forced to stay in a hospital. Eventually, he was admitted to hospice care, but he only qualified for OHIP coverage days before his death.
His daughter, Laura Duma says it made a hard time for the family even more difficult.
"It would have been nice to honour my father's choice to pass away at home," she says. "With this bill, we really hope we can give other families that option."
The bill would remove the three-month waiting period Canadians, even those returning to Ontario, have to wait before they qualify for OHIP coverage.
One of the doctors that treated Duma was Dr Darren Cargill who works in palliative care in Windsor.
"At this time there are many deficiencies within our healthcare system, but this is one problem that can be easily fixed," he says.
The bill goes to committees next.
