Wow... only in Nova Scotia I guess.

Just last year FINALLY Nova Scotia passed on the Health Living Tax Credits to adults. It is a program whereby parents can write off $500 for any child under 17 who are doing something physical. The idea is that the more healthy kids are, the more healthy they will be as adults, thus bringing down the costs of medical care.

In 2009 it was opened for adults too, which only made sense. If you want the kids to be healthy, why not have the adults enjoy the same incentives too? It just makes sense.

Or maybe not.

The Nova Scotia government has now frozen the incentive for adults. The government website said this;

"The expansion of the Healthy Living Tax Incentive to cover expenses for recreation registration for adults has been deferred for 2009. The program for young people, aged 17 and under, remains unchanged."

My question is, why the heck are we so backwards here? It's fairly common sense. If you want the medical bills to drop for everyone, help them to be more active and more healthy.

So, our very best and brightest political minds give the incentive and then take it back. Just when people started to realize it was there and actually started to use it. Are they reading the same newspaper reports as I am? Obesity rates are skyrocketing! What a brilliant time to cancel an incentive program that gives people a little extra motivation.

Come on people this is simple. We have too many health care bills, not enough health care professionals and an aging population. And  your way to help this is to take away chances for people to get healthy? Wow... good thinking.

www.360online.ca

devin