Ontario passes health-care bill allowing private clinics to conduct more surgeries
CTV
The Ontario government has passed a bill allowing more private clinics to conduct OHIP-covered surgeries as advocates warn of potential legal action.
The Ontario government has passed a bill allowing more private clinics to conduct OHIP-covered surgeries as advocates warn of potential legal action.
Bill 60, also known as the Your Health Act, was passed by the Doug Ford government Monday at Queen’s Park and will go into effect once it receives Royal Assent.
The legislation was first tabled in February by Health Minister Sylvia Jones, who argued it was necessary to reduce the province’s large surgical backlog.
“People should not have to wait for months for diagnosis, and if necessary, surgeries,” Jones said on Feb. 21.
Under the bill, both for-profit and not-for-profit clinics will be allowed to conduct cataract surgeries, MRI and CT scans, minimally invasive gynecological surgeries and, eventually, knee and hip replacements under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
The legislation was met with immediate backlash from advocates and experts concerned about oversight, staffing and upselling.
The province’s official opposition has repeatedly said the plan will result in a two-tiered system leading some patients to “jump to the front of the line.”
