FILE - Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones listens to questions from reporters following a press conference at a Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy in Etobicoke, Ont., on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin
The federal Canada Health Act lays out which health services are funded at the provincial level. But Jones notes the act doesn’t make clear what is or isn’t allowed when it comes to services delivered by non-physicians, including nurse practitioners. While Ontario does directly fund more than two dozen nurse practitioner-led clinics, others that fall outside OHIP coverage have popped up in cities including Toronto and Ottawa, charging hundreds of dollars in annual membership fees to access care.
Opposition parties at Queen’s Park have argued the province could crack down on charging clinics without Ottawa’s help.