Alberta is turning public hospitals into private businesses. Will Ontario follow?
- Iris Gorfinkel
- Nov 27
- 2 min read
By Iris Gorfinkel Contributor
Iris Gorfinkel is a family physician and clinical researcher in Toronto.
Nov. 27, 2025
Ontarians need to be on high alert. Alberta has taken a major step toward privatizing health care. Bill 55 will allow surgeons to work in both public hospitals and private‑pay clinics. Under this dual-practice model, cataract surgeries and joint replacements done during business hours would be covered by the province, while the same procedures in evenings or on weekends could be sold to patients for out-of-pocket fees.
Alberta would also let investor‑run corporations operate public hospitals — turning them into profit centres and throwing the doors open to a two‑tier system. It’s framed as “choice, efficiency and innovation,” but it effectively turns patient wait-lists into a customer list, targeting those who can pay with shorter waits.
This sets a concerning precedent. Ontario doesn’t have a Bill 55 by name, but a version of this is already taking shape through expanding for‑profit clinics and extra fees. We’re promised “you’ll show your OHIP card, not your credit card” — there’s nothing to fear. But Ontario’s reality shows how quickly a publicly funded procedure can turn into a profit-generating business once regulation allows it.
Privately run centres in Ontario perform cataract operations, orthopedic surgeries and imaging, such as MRIs and CT scans. These are funded through the provincial plan, but independent investigations have documented patients being charged thousands of dollars in extra fees for services that should have been covered.
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