Patient Advocates Issue Formal Complaint on Behalf of Patients Charged User Fees at Private Clinics

The Ontario Health Coalition was joined by patients from across Ontario in a press conference as they announced that they have filed formal complaints on behalf of patients charged user fees for health care at private clinics. When the Ford government redirected resources away from public hospitals to expand private for-profit clinics the premier said, "No Ontarian will ever have to pay with a credit card. They will pay with their OHIP card."

The Coalition has gathered evidence -- including proof of payment and patient reports -- from fifty patients that are included in the formal complaint. The Coalition has received more than 200 complaints over the last year and these represent only a small fraction of the number of patients who are facing charges of hundreds to thousands of dollars when they go for cataract surgery in the private clinics. This should never happen in Canada where patients are supposed to be protected against user charges and extra-billing for medically needed surgeries, diagnostic tests and physician services.

Several patients spoke about their personal experiences at the press conference and the Coalition has also released open letters to Ontario’s Health Minister and the federal Minister of Health.

The Ontario Health Coalition was formed more than 40 years ago to safeguard single-tier public medicare and advocate for the public interest in health care. The Coalition was involved in the public campaigns and hearings that led to the creation of the Canada Health Act which requires that medically needed surgeries, diagnostic tests and physician services be covered by our public health care system and bans user fees and extra-billing for patients. The Coalition has tracked extra-billing, user fees and the impacts of privatization over the decades. In addition, the Coalition advocates to protect local health care services from being cut and closed and to improve access and care. It represents more than 750,000 Ontarians including patients, patient advocates, families, doctors, unions, non-profit organizations, seniors’ groups, nurses, health professionals, care and support workers, students, ethnocultural organizations, and concerned citizens, among others.