PRIVATIZATION

Does Ontario need more private health care? Doug Ford’s government has introduced a controversial plan to expand private health care services in Ontario, arguing that it will help reduce surgical backlogs and improve wait times. But many experts warn that this could mark the beginning of a two-tier health-care system, undermining Canada’s universal health care model.

 

Ontario already has a mix of public and private health-care providers. Many services are covered by OHIP, but others require private insurance or out-of-pocket payments. With the passage of Bill 60, the Your Health Act, Ford’s government has allowed private, for-profit, and not-for-profit clinics to conduct nearly 60,000 more OHIP-covered surgeries and diagnostic scans, including cataract surgeries, MRI and CT scans, minimally invasive gynecological procedures, and eventually knee and hip replacements.

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