Ontario Health System at the Brink

The following was penned by Clinton Halladay and was published as a Letter to the Editor in the January 26, 2023 edition of the Review Mirror.

The Ontario Government continues down the slippery slope of favouring the “Friends of Ford Foundation” over the needs and well-being of the citizenry. The callous use of the notwithstanding clause, the decommissioning, sale and paving over of part of the protected greenbelt, the creation of Super Mayors, the neutering of Conservation Authorities, the move to public funding of private healthcare and the list goes on.

My focus here is the privatization of healthcare. Private healthcare in Canada is healthcare services that are provided by private, for-profit companies rather than public, universal healthcare. While the Canadian healthcare system is generally considered to be one of the best in the world, due to years of neglect, status quo and underfunding it has reached the brink. Notwithstanding this perilous position, there are major concerns about the dangers of private healthcare as a solution to what was an avoidable situation in the country.

One of the main concerns is that private healthcare can lead to a two-tiered system, where those who can afford to pay for private healthcare services receive better and more timely care than those who rely on the public system. This can lead to increased inequality in healthcare access and outcomes. The Ontario Government’s spin is this is not the case because no one will be required to pay out-of-pocket. The private services will be paid for by public funds. Think about that for a moment!

According to the Conservative Government, Ontario is desperately short of money in the health budget. We cannot afford to allocate hospitals sufficient operating funds or pay healthcare workers a proper salary, but we can pay private, for-profit providers a premium.  It is recognized and generally accepted that private healthcare simply costs more than public healthcare. Given the architecture of the current proposal, private healthcare will reduce the government funding for public, universal healthcare and very likely siphon staff from the public cadre, making it substantially more difficult for low-income individuals and families to access necessary medical care.

As with the catastrophic record of private Long Term Care Homes during the pandemic, a valid concern is that private healthcare companies will prioritize profit over patient care. For-profit healthcare is a business. By design it is created to have one thing in mind and that’s profits for shareholders. This can result in cost-cutting measures that negatively impact the quality of care provided to patients, as well as long wait times for procedures and treatments. An article on the ncbi.nlm.nih.gov website, February 2021, determined healthcare systems with higher rates of private financing are negatively associated with universality, equity, accessibility and quality of care with no association with improved health outcomes. Something to consider.

Additionally, private healthcare companies may not be subject to the same levels of regulation and oversight as the public healthcare system. This can increase the risk of fraud, abuse, and malpractice, which would have serious consequences for patients. This negative issue can be easily mitigated, by proper government oversight; however, unfortunately the present government has a less than stellar record pursuant to regulations governing private corporate matters.

In conclusion, private healthcare in Canada has the potential to create a two-tiered system, prioritize profit over patient care, reduce the level of oversight and regulation, and make healthcare less accessible for low-income individuals and families. While private healthcare may offer some benefits, it is important to carefully consider the potential downsides before embracing it as a solution to the country’s healthcare challenges.

Why the Ontario government may be opposed to adequately funding public healthcare, including paying healthcare workers appropriate wages, can vary depending on the specific situation and political climate. However, some possible reasons include:

• Prioritizing other spending areas: The government may choose to allocate funding to other areas rather than healthcare worker wages.
• Political ideology: Some political ideologies may prioritize smaller government spending and lower taxes over sustainable healthcare funding.

Disagreements over what constitutes “appropriate” wages: The government and healthcare workers may have different opinions on what constitutes fair and appropriate wages, which can lead to disagreements and disputes.

• Collective bargaining challenges: There may be challenges during the collective bargaining process between the government and healthcare workers’ unions, which can lead to delays or failures to reach agreements on wages and other issues.

It is important to note this is my opinion of the recent public/private healthcare announcements in Ontario, based solely on my assessment of the premier’s and minister’s announcement and available press coverage. A more in-depth analysis of the current political, economic, and social context in the province is in order before careening headlong over the precipice.