Wait Times Increasing for some Medical Procedures Outsourced to for-Profit Clinics in Ontario: Report
The report says 8 of 12 priority procedures had longer waits from 2017 to 2025, even as Ontario spent $674 million on private care.
- On Monday, a new Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report found that Ontario's outsourcing of surgeries and medical imaging to for-profit clinics has not reduced wait times for most priority procedures.
- The provincial government accelerated this privatization strategy following the 2023 passage of Bill 60, the Your Health Act, which enabled private clinics to conduct publicly funded surgeries to address the province's surgical backlog.
- Wait times for eight of 12 priority procedures, including MRI scans and cataract surgeries, increased between 2017 and 2025; the report also found for-profit procedures can be significantly more expensive than public hospital alternatives.
- Rejecting the report's conclusions, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones's office stated through spokesperson Lily Barnes that it "does not reflect the reality of Ontario's health-care system" and emphasized $101 billion in recent health-care funding.
- The report recommends the provincial government stop privatizing services, increase public hospital funding, and implement centralized waiting lists, arguing that for-profit delivery models are "consistently found to be more expensive.
17 Articles
17 Articles
WellandTribune.ca
St Catharines StandardNiagara's MRI machines go dark every night — while Ontario spends billions on private clinics
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' latest report, Not Adding Up: Surgical and Diagnostic Privatization in Ontario, suggests public money is being directed to private operators rather than used to fully activate existing public infrastructure.
Ontario spent $280M on private health clinics but wait times got worse says new study
Ontario MRI, cancer surgery, and cataract wait times all rose from 2017–2025, despite $280M spent licensing private health clinics, a new Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives study found.
The Hamilton Spectator
ParrySound.comOntario private health clinics cost more and haven't cut wait times, new study finds
New Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives study says wait times rose for eight of 12 priority procedures in Ontario from 2017 to 2025 despite $280M spent licensing private health clinics.
The use of private surgery in Ontario has increased by 117% over eight years, according to the Canadian Centre for Alternative Policy.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
