The names of clinics and physicians found to have extra-billed patients for health services are being kept secret, with advocates arguing this lack of transparency could impact public trust in the health-care system
“When a CFMA investigation finds a provider to be in violation of the CFMA, the ministry works with the provider to give them the opportunity to be in compliance with the Act, so they can continue their operations,” they said in a statement.“I don't think the public interest is served by redacting that information,” Andrew Longhurst, health policy researcher at Simon Fraser University and research associate at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, told CTV News Toronto.
The data from 2021 onward shows patients paid - and were reimbursed for - eye exams, dental extractions, the removal of stitches, the injection of drugs, and in one case a vague “health card initiated charge.” More information on the licensing process will be released closer to the program launch date on April 1, the spokesperson said.
Some of the more common complaints, Thompson said, surround upgraded hospital accommodations and ambulance transfers. However, if the Ontario patient ombudsman receives a complaint and finds a violation, all they can do is offer mediation and make recommendations. “In the vast majority of situations, organizations and the staff, and leadership within those organizations want to do a good job of delivering healthcare,” he said. “So once it's brought to their attention that there's been a problem … then they're more than happy to make a change in a process, make a change in a policy, do some training for staff.”
“This trust is something we need in our health-care system. When you start to lose trust in your health-care providers, it becomes really hard to provide quality care.” Boaters on the lookout for the carcass of a sperm whale came face-to-face with a hungry great white shark during mealtime on Sunday, off the coast of Sarasota, Fla.Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Toronto and much of the Greater Toronto Area ahead of a snowstorm that could dump as much as 15 cm of snow in some areas later today.