$8,400 hospital fine will go unpaid, says Ontario family who opposes controversial LTC law

Tecumseh, Ont., resident Michele Campeau says the $8,400 bill her mom has received related to the province's controversial long-term care law is a "scare tactic" that she's not falling for. 

And she plans to use it in her fight to put a stop to the legislation.

"This is not just about my mother anymore ... a lot of people get scared and bullied into paying this," said Campeau, whose mom has been at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare in Windsor since the beginning of the year. 

"I think it's time for us to stand up and protect our elderly." 

CBC News spoke with Campeau last month, when she said she had been told there would be a $400 a day charge related to Bill 7, after she refused to move her mom into a care home that they didn't want. 

Bill 7, the More Beds, Better Care Act, came into effect in September 2022. It allows hospitals to charge patients who refuse to move into a long-term care bed chosen on their behalf.

Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare says that the legislation is necessary to free up beds needed for patients with urgent health issues. But an advocate says the stress and immense financial burden that Campeau and her mom are experiencing are exactly why this legislation needs to be revoked.

Campeau's mother, Ruth Poupard, is 83 and has dementia. She went to Windsor Regional Hospital on Dec. 27 after falling and breaking her hip. She was soon moved to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. 

Weeks later, she was said to be eligible for long-term care and the hospital found a home with an available bed. 

But Campeau told CBC News last month that after viewing the facility, she wouldn't even put her dog in there. She refused the bed, which then meant the $400 a day charge kicked in. 

WATCH: Ontario resident says the fine will go unpaid 

On April 22, Poupard was billed $8,400 for her March 11 to March 31 hospital stay.

She's still in the hospital and hasn't been offered a bed at one of the five long-term care homes that the family wants, says Campeau. 

And the family is expecting to receive another bill for April's stay, which will be much higher, in a few weeks.