The Doug Ford government is allocating more funding to a for-profit clinic for performing OHIP-covered surgeries than it provides to Ontario’s public hospitals for the same procedures, according to documents obtained by CBC News.
This revelation comes as the Ontario government, under Premier Doug Ford’s leadership, is planning to expand the volume and scope of surgeries performed outside of public hospitals, including hip and knee replacements, which could be a profitable venture.
The privately-owned Don Mills Surgical Unit Ltd., part of Clearpoint Health Network, is the beneficiary of these higher funding rates. The funding rates disclosed in the documents obtained through a freedom of information request are as follows:
– $1,264 per procedure for minor complexity surgeries (e.g., cataract surgery).
– $4,037 per procedure for moderate complexity surgeries (e.g., laparoscopic gallbladder removal).
– $5,408 per procedure for higher-complexity surgeries (e.g., repairing a large tear of a rotator cuff).
These rates do not include the surgeon’s billing for the operation, which remains the same whether the surgery takes place in a hospital or a private clinic.
Health-care professionals and senior public hospital officials who reviewed the documents expressed concerns that outsourcing surgeries to for-profit clinics might not reduce wait times and could divert resources from public hospitals while boosting clinic owners’ revenues. Some officials described the funding rates as “generous” and suggested that there is significant profit potential for clinic owners.
The Ministry of Health justified its agreement with Don Mills Surgical Unit by citing the need to address backlogs of publicly funded surgeries caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Minister Sylvia Jones defended the government’s outsourcing of surgeries, emphasizing the importance of access and reducing wait times.
However, the discrepancy in funding rates has raised questions about the government’s claims regarding the cost-efficiency of outsourcing surgeries. Critics argue that taxpayers are paying significantly more for the same procedures in private, for-profit facilities, benefiting investors rather than the public.
It’s worth noting that former health minister Christine Elliott, who registered to lobby on behalf of Clearpoint Health Network Inc., is advocating for increased funding for the private clinics.
In summary, documents obtained by CBC News reveal that the Doug Ford government is providing a for-profit clinic higher funding rates for OHIP-covered surgeries than it offers to public hospitals, raising concerns about the government’s plans to expand surgeries outside of hospitals. Critics argue that this funding discrepancy undermines the government’s claims of cost-efficiency in outsourcing surgeries to private clinics.