Health Coalition shocked and disappointed with court rulings in Bill 7 Charter Challenge and Orchard Villa case; vows to continue the fight to protect the rights of the elderly

March 13, 2025

Toronto – In a press conference this morning, the Ontario Health Coalition responded to court rulings in two cases impacting thousands of elderly hospital patients and long-term care residents in Ontario.

File photo shows a bed inside a long-term care (LTC) home in Ontario. In January, the Superior Court dismissed a constitutional challenge to a section of Bill 7, the More Beds, Better Care Act, addressing the placement of residents in LTC homes. (Sam Juric/CBC)

The first case, known as the Bill 7 Charter Challenge, was brought by the Ontario Health Coalition and the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly. The court upheld the constitutionality of the Act (known as Bill 7) euphemistically titled the More Beds, Better Care Act (2022), that requires hospitals to charge elderly patients who are classified by the hospital as “Alternate Level of Care” to be charged $400 per day or $12,000 per month if they refuse to go to a long-term care home that is not of their choosing. Patients can be sent up to 70 km away in Southern Ontario, and up to 150 km or even further if there are no beds available in Northern Ontario. The court case was a Charter Challenge, known as a Constitutional Challenge or a Challenge under the Charter of Rights. The case was argued before the Ontario Superior Court on Monday, September 23 and Tuesday, September 24. A backgrounder and links to the court filings, evidence and the court ruling are available here.

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