Ontario is preparing for the next step in its expansion of private clinics that can offer publicly funded tests and procedures.
The province plans to expand the number of facilities offering services like cataract surgeries and M-R-Is, as well as adding hip and knee replacement surgeries.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says starting this spring, the province will seek applications for clinics to provide more services, including more M-R-Is, C-T scans, G-I endoscopies, and orthopedic surgeries.
Advocates worry the plan is a stepping-stone to privatization.
But Jones says the expansion will allow more procedures to be performed and reduce wait times, and patients will never have to pay out of pocket for OHIP-insured services.
(The Canadian Press)