Does Ontario need MORE private health care? | Nerds On Health Care | TVO Today

Is Doug Ford trying to privatize Ontario’s health-care system? What if we told you Ontario, much like in the United States, already has private medicine — and lots of it. Yes, Canada has universal health care, but many services are already provided by private clinics. They’re just (often) covered by OHIP (looking at you, dental). Ford says his plan to expand such services to include cataract surgeries, MRI and CT scans, minimally invasive gynecological surgeries and, eventually, knee and hip replacements, will help ease the health-care system backlog. Many experts disagree, arguing that it will create two-tiered health care and lead to patients being upsold on unnecessary procedures — and may even mark the beginning of the end of universal health care. So, what actually is private health care? And how will it affect Ontarians? Will private health care actually reduce long wait times for procedures? How might for-profit clinics impact public health care? Join TVO Today’s Maria Sarrouh as she breaks down Doug Ford's plan for an increasingly-private health-care system.