‘The American model’: Ontario doctor claims move to private care building steam – GLOBAL
February 15, 2024
Dr. David Barber, chair of the Ontario Medical Association’s general and family practice section, says a move toward private health care in Ontario is “happening already” and that it’s “going to get worse.”
During a news conference Thursday discussing a shortage of family doctors in Ontario, Barber said one of his own patients went to Montreal and paid about $2,000 for a test that had a roughly 12 month wait-list in Ontario.
He also highlighted the growing number of nurse practitioner clinics in the province, which charge patients for services directly rather than through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). One such clinic in Hamilton has service prices ranging from $80 to treat a sore throat to $240 for a comprehensive mental health assessment.
“We are heading in that direction, there’s no doubt about it. We are heading towards the American model,” Barber said.
