Privatization Reports & Analysis

RELEASE & REPORT: Illegal, Unlawful and Unethical: Case Studies of Patients Charged for Medical Care in Ontario’s Private Clinics

(April 16, 2024) Anyone in Ontario can make a complaint or ask questions by calling toll-free at 1-888-662-6613 or by emailing protectpublichealthcare@ontario.ca. Toronto, April 16, 2024 – Released today, a new report Illegal, Unlawful and Unethical: Case Studies of Patients Charged for Medical Care in Ontario’s Private Clinics, featured evidence from more than a hundred […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Fraud, criminal conviction, misrepresentation and unlawful user fees: New report exposes a “Wild West” of for-profit health care in Ottawa private clinics

(March 8, 2024) A new report released by the Ottawa and Ontario Health Coalitions contains shocking revelations about the ownership and management behind private health clinics in Ottawa. Based on a five-month investigation, Freedom of Information requests, corporate filings, interviews and court records, the report paints a picture of a dangerous and disturbing “Wild West” […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Robbing the public to build the private: The Ford government’s hospital privatization scheme

(February 21, 2024) A new report, Robbing from the public to build the private: The Ford government’s hospital privatization scheme reveals that local hospitals in every region of Ontario have operating rooms sitting idle the majority of the time. The public has funded local hospitals for more than 70 years to build operating room capacity that […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Health Coalition Exposes Significantly Higher Costs & Irregularities in Kingston Hospital Cataract Surgery Privatization: New Report

(February 15, 2024) The press release and report was released on February 15. An update with a response to statements made by the Kingston Health Sciences Centre CEO can be found below the initial release. The privatization of cataract surgeries in Kingston, Ontario, costs 56% more than if the same procedures had been done in […]

REPORT & RELEASE: Report advises Ontario government to scrap private surgeries and invest in public hospitals

(November 2, 2023) Toronto – Drawing on new data from Freedom of Information requests, financial and statistical analysis, and research, a new report raises red flags about the Ford government’s privatization of our public hospitals’ core services including diagnostics and surgeries. The report, At What Cost? Ontario hospital privatization and the threat to public health […]

ANALYSIS: Ontario Health Coalition Analysis of Bill 60, Your Health Act

(March 10, 2023) This legislation is ostensibly to facilitate the Ford government’s plan to expand private clinics. It replaces the Independent Health Facilities Act. Since the government already had the power to do what it announced publicly (privatize day surgeries and diagnostics from our public hospitals) under existing legislation, this part of our analysis of […]

FACT SHEET: Two-Tier Health Care and Private Clinics

(March 8, 2022) Canada Health Act Principles The 1984 Canada Health Act is rooted in the core principles of equity and compassion. Its primary objective is “to protect, promote, and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.” The Canada […]

REPORT: Public Money, Private Profit: The Ford Government & the Privatization of the Next Generation of Ontario’s Long-Term Care

(November 29, 2021) Click here for the full report with a list of all the new bed licenses. A summary of the report can be found below. ——- Introduction & Key Findings After watching horror-struck as among the worst death rates in the world devastated Ontario’s long-homes during the pandemic, Ontarians were promised fundamental change. […]

RELEASE, ANALYSIS & BRIEFING NOTE: Health Care Omnibus Bill Sets Up Ontario for Health System Mega-Mergers & Privatization: Worse than the Leaked Draft, Health Coalition Warns

(Updated: April 1, 2019) Click here for our submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 74 (April 2019) Click here for update on health omnibus bill hearings (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill briefing note (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill media […]

RELEASE: Private Clinics & the Threat to Public Medicare in Canada: Results of Surveys with Private Clinics and Patients

(June 10, 2017) From the autumn of 2016 to the spring of 2017, researchers at the Ontario Health Coalition called all the private clinics we could reach across Canada. Included in the survey are private surgical clinics including cataract surgery clinics, MRI/CT, colonoscopy/endoscopy clinics and “boutique” physician clinics. In total, we surveyed a sample of […]

ANALYSIS: Chamber of Commerce Privatization Report Poorly Researched, Not in Public Interest: Health Coalition

(March 15, 2016) Toronto – The Ontario’s Chamber of Commerce waded into health care reform today with a poorly-researched and argued report that would cause Ontarians harm if implemented, noted the Ontario Health Coalition. The OCC report is not grounded in evidence. It is comprised of a hodgepodge of anecdotes that are often inaccurate and […]

REPORT: Private Health Clinics Using Manipulative Tactics to Over-Bill Patients: Ontario Health Coalition Report

(March 25, 2014) Ontario Government’s Plan to Cut Medical Services from Local Public Hospital and Contract Them Out to Private Clinics Called a Significant Threat to Single-Tier Medicare.

SUBMISSION: OHC Provincial Budget Submission

(January 16, 2014) Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs Pre-Budget Hearings. Click here for Submission

SUBMISSION: Submission on the proposed new regulation under the Independent Health Facilities Act (IHFA), 1990 and the proposed amendment to regulation 264/07 under the Local Health System Integration Act (LHSIA) 2006

(October 10, 2013) The Ontario government is proposing regulatory changes that would appear to transfer some or all funding and oversight of private clinics (IHFs) to the LHINs regime, allow Cancer Care Ontario to fund private clinics and expand the private clinic/IHF model in order to cut and privatize public hospital services. On October 10, […]

ANALYSIS: Ontario Conservative Party Health Paper A Recipe for Privatization

(September 10, 2012) The Ontario PC party has released its White Paper on Health Care. The OHC has issued an analysis of the White Paper in response.

RELEASE: Schedule 28 Update: Weak amendments to McGuinty omnibus budget bill facilitate sweeping privatization – Citizens’ groups call for privatization clause to be struck down

(June 15, 2012) The Council of Canadians and Ontario Health Coalition are outraged that despite promises made by Ontario’s government, proposed amendments are too weak to stop the mass privatization of public services in Budget Bill 55, Schedule 28.

REPORT: Private Clinics Report: Eroding Public Medicare: Lessons and Consequences of For-Profit Health Care Across Canada

(October 6, 2008) groundbreaking report on the growth and practices of for-profit surgical, MRI and boutique physician clinics across Canada. Where are they? How are they making their profits? How are they promoting two-tier medicare? Where do they get their staff from? What does this mean for public health care in Canada. Click here for […]

REPORT: Private Clinics Report: First Do No Harm

(October 1, 2007) Lessons from Ontario’s Experiences with For-Profit Diagnostic and Hospital Clinics. Click here for Media Release Click here for Full Report

MEDICARE WORKS! Town Hall Reports

(Fall 2006) Click here for MEDICARE WORKS! Town Hall Reports (printable version)

LEGAL OPINION: Legal Opinion on Proposed Copeman Clinic

(January 19, 2006) The OHC obtained a legal opinion from Sack, Goldblatt, Mitchell LLB regarding the Copeman Clinic which found the proposed Ontario clinic to be in contravention of the law. Click here for Memorandum

REPORT: Scanning For Profit: A Critical Review of the Evidence Regarding For-Profit MRI and CT Clinics

This is a report prepared for the Ontario Health Coalition by Ross Sutherland which demonstrates that for-profit MRI and CT Clinics are slower, more expensive and riskier. FULL REPORT (ONLINE) FULL REPORT (DOC)

REPORT: McMaster Study Shows Mortality Rates Higher in For-Profit Hospitals

(July 15, 2002) Full study published in Canadian Medical Association Journal: Click here for Full Report Short article on study by co-author Dr. Gordon Guyatt: Click here for Article

REPORT: Ownership Matters: Lessons from Ontario’s Long Term Care Facilities

(May 27, 2002) A report prepared for the Hospital Employees’ Union of British Columbia by the OHC which examines the effect of the Ontario Tory government’s privatization of Long Term Care on the quality of care and patients.