Privatization Media Releases

RELEASE & REPORT: Illegal, Unlawful and Unethical: Case Studies of Patients Charged for Medical Care in Ontario’s Private Clinics

(April 16, 2024) Anyone in Ontario can make a complaint or ask questions by calling toll-free at 1-888-662-6613 or by emailing protectpublichealthcare@ontario.ca. Toronto, April 16, 2024 – Released today, a new report Illegal, Unlawful and Unethical: Case Studies of Patients Charged for Medical Care in Ontario’s Private Clinics, featured evidence from more than a hundred […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Fraud, criminal conviction, misrepresentation and unlawful user fees: New report exposes a “Wild West” of for-profit health care in Ottawa private clinics

(March 8, 2024) A new report released by the Ottawa and Ontario Health Coalitions contains shocking revelations about the ownership and management behind private health clinics in Ottawa. Based on a five-month investigation, Freedom of Information requests, corporate filings, interviews and court records, the report paints a picture of a dangerous and disturbing “Wild West” […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Robbing the public to build the private: The Ford government’s hospital privatization scheme

(February 21, 2024) A new report, Robbing from the public to build the private: The Ford government’s hospital privatization scheme reveals that local hospitals in every region of Ontario have operating rooms sitting idle the majority of the time. The public has funded local hospitals for more than 70 years to build operating room capacity that […]

RELEASE & REPORT: Health Coalition Exposes Significantly Higher Costs & Irregularities in Kingston Hospital Cataract Surgery Privatization: New Report

(February 15, 2024) The press release and report was released on February 15. An update with a response to statements made by the Kingston Health Sciences Centre CEO can be found below the initial release. The privatization of cataract surgeries in Kingston, Ontario, costs 56% more than if the same procedures had been done in […]

RELEASE: Ford Government Expanded For-Profit Hospital in Violation of the Law and While Lying to the Public: Health Coalition and Democracy Watch Call for Concrete Measures to Protect the Public Interest in Wake of Revelations about Former Health Minister Lobbying for For-Profit Hospital

(November 20, 2023) Toronto—The revelation that former Health Minister Christine Elliott has registered as a lobbyist for a for-profit hospital known as Don Mills Surgical Unit, now owned by Clearpoint Health Network, has raised serious questions about ethics and conflict of interest. The Ontario Health Coalition has looked into the funding increases given to that […]

REPORT & RELEASE: Report advises Ontario government to scrap private surgeries and invest in public hospitals

(November 2, 2023) Toronto – Drawing on new data from Freedom of Information requests, financial and statistical analysis, and research, a new report raises red flags about the Ford government’s privatization of our public hospitals’ core services including diagnostics and surgeries. The report, At What Cost? Ontario hospital privatization and the threat to public health […]

RELEASE: More than 400,000 Ontarians vote to stop the privatization of Ontario’s public hospitals: Health Coalition announces results of Huge People’s Referendum

(May 31, 2023) The Ontario Health Coalition announced the results of a mass community-run referendum, where Ontarians were given the opportunity to have their say on if they would like their public hospital services to be privatized to for-profit hospitals and clinics. A massive pile of ballots were delivered to the government this morning, as […]

RELEASE & BRIEFING NOTE: Patients Who Have Been Extra-Billed Thousands of Dollars in Ontario Private Clinics Join Advocates to Call Out Ford Government’s False Claims

(February 27, 2023) Toronto – Leda Raptis from Kingston was charged $2,000 for an MRI at a private clinic. She needed the MRI for open heart surgery. When she looked at the bill, the clinic said the charge was for “contrast”. Either way, the two thousand dollar charge is illegal in Ontario and in Canada. […]

RELEASE: Calling Ford’s plans to privatize Ontario’s public hospital surgeries a “fatal threat” and a “terrible blow” to our public hospitals, health advocates vow major fightback

(January 16, 2023) Toronto – The Ford government’s plans to privatize our public hospitals’ vital services are a fatal threat to the core tenet of Canadian Public Medicare that extra user fees are forbidden and patients will not be faced with user charges in their time of need. Already existing private for-profit clinics routinely extra-bill […]

RELEASE & BRIEFING NOTE: The Ford government lied to the public re. their privatization of public hospital services: Health Coalition demands Ford stop their privatization of our hospitals, kicks off major campaign to save our local public hospitals

(October 26, 2022) Toronto –The Ontario Health Coalition released a brief today charging that the Ford government lied to the public about its privatization of Ontario’s public hospital services. The Coalition reported that the Ford government significantly increased funding to private clinics while at the same time denying that they were expanding the private clinics. […]

RELEASE: Health Coalitions denounce for-profit deal by Canadian Blood Services that endangers Canada’s Blood Supply

(September 20, 2022) OTTAWA (the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people) – Canada’s provincial and territorial Health Coalitions and the Canadian Health Coalition call for the resignation of the leadership of the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) including the CEO and Board of Directors. This call comes after the appalling decision by CBS […]

FACT CHECKER & RELEASE: Health Coalition response to Ford government’s plans to move seniors out of hospitals & privatize hospital diagnostics and surgeries to for-profit clinics and hospitals

(August 18, 2022) The Ford government released what it called a five-point health care plan this morning in a press conference. In summary: On COVID-19 there was nothing new. On the unprecedented staffing crisis in Ontario’s hospitals, long-term care and home care, there was another in a long string of reannouncements of plans to bring […]

RELEASE: Ontario Election Health Care Primer: Health Coalition Brings Warning and Outlines Key Issues as the Writ Drops

(May 5, 2022) Toronto – As the writ was dropped for the June 2 provincial election, the Ontario Health Coalition warned against unprecedented health care privatization and called for it to be a key election issue. The Coalition also outlined a set of health care priorities for Ontarians. First, on privatization: The Ford government is […]

RELEASE & BRIEFING NOTE: The Privatization of COVID-19 Testing in Ontario

(March 30, 2022) Click here for printable version of release Click here for printable version of briefing note Health Coalition Demands the Ford Government Stop 2–Tier Privatization of COVID–Testing& Restore Access to Public Testing Urgently as the Pandemic’s 6th Wave Gains Amplitude Toronto – Step by step, the Ford government has been privatizing PCR […]

FACT SHEET: Two-Tier Health Care and Private Clinics

(March 8, 2022) Canada Health Act Principles The 1984 Canada Health Act is rooted in the core principles of equity and compassion. Its primary objective is “to protect, promote, and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.” The Canada […]

RELEASE: Ford Government is Awarding Thousands of Long-Term Care Beds to For-Profit Chains with Ghastly Records of Death and Suffering: New Coalition Report

(November 29, 2021) Toronto— The Ford government has been awarding tens of thousands of long-term care beds to for-profit operators and 30-year licenses paid by Ontario taxpayers. The Ontario Health Coalition warned the Ford government is on the cusp of privatizing an entire new generation of long-term care beds unless public outrage stops them. The […]

RELEASE: Ontario Budget: Health Coalition is Watching for Sufficient Health Funding, Strings Attached in For-Profit LTC & A Stop to the Ford Government’s Privatization of Health Care

(March 24, 2021) Toronto – The Health Coalition said today that the funding numbers for health care in the budget are going to look huge of course, due to the pandemic, but the Coalition will be watching to make sure that funding is indeed enough. Equally important to the amount of funding, are strings attached […]

RELEASE: Health Coalitions Call for Increased Federal Health Care Funding and Accountability

(December 10, 2020) Ottawa, December 10, 2020- Canada’s premiers are meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to request an increase to federal funding for health care. Health coalitions from across the country support the call for a long-term increase to the Canada Health Transfer (CHT). This funding must be accompanied by a robust accountability framework […]

RELEASE: Throne Speech: Premiers Should Not Play Partisan Politics with Health Care; Concrete Commitments Needed From Provincial & Federal Governments

(September 29, 2020) Health Coalitions across Canada were pleased with Throne Speech promises to expand public health care to create a universal comprehensive public pharmacare program and to set national standards for long-term care. However, concrete commitments are conspicuously absent. As reported in the speech, more than 9,000 Canadians have died in the last six […]

RELEASE: Victory for Patients Over Private Clinics in B.C. Court Challenge: Historic Victory Against Profit-Driven Health Care

(September 10, 2020) Toronto – A ten-year legal attack launched by one of the largest private for-profit surgical centres in Canada seeking to strike down key protections for single-tier health care has reached a critical juncture. Today a B.C. Court ruled on the case upholding the provisions in British Columbia law that protect our system […]

RELEASE: Ford’s ambulance and public health cuts and restructuring come with high costs, reduced services: Coalition warns

(April 18, 2019) Toronto – It has been done before and it resulted in enormous costs, not savings, and it compromised services. This was the message of the Ontario Health Coalition in reaction to the growing array of health care services that the Doug Ford government plans to restructure and cut. The Coalition released their […]

RELEASE, ANALYSIS & BRIEFING NOTE: Health Care Omnibus Bill Sets Up Ontario for Health System Mega-Mergers & Privatization: Worse than the Leaked Draft, Health Coalition Warns

(Updated: April 1, 2019) Click here for our submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 74 (April 2019) Click here for update on health omnibus bill hearings (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill briefing note (March 2019) Click here for printable version of health omnibus bill media […]

VIDEO: Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott obfuscate questions on health privatization

Analysis Watch as Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott sidestep the opposition leader, Andrea Horwath’s, question in the legislature on whether private for-profit health corporations will play a role in Bill 74, the new health care legislation. The Ford government repeatedly refuses to disavow for-profit privatization of our public health care system. It is […]

RELEASE: Ford Government is Steamrolling Health Restructuring Law Through in “Outrageously Undemocratic” Process Warns Health Coalition: Local Services at Risk

(March 18, 2019) The Ontario Health Coalition expressed outrage at the process by which the Ford government is rushing their new sweeping health care restructuring legislation through and is demanding public hearings across Ontario. In the new law, the Ford government has given itself new powers to order the privatization of health care services, along […]

RELEASE: Warning that Leaked Health Care Omnibus Bill Would Create Health Care Chaos: Longstanding Leaders of Organizations Representing Patients, Care Workers, Doctors

Academic leaders, democracy advocates, patient advocates, front-line care workers and doctors are all speaking with one voice when it comes to the leaked health care omnibus bill that has secretly been planned by the Ford government for months: if passed, it would cause health care chaos that will last for years. Speaking at a Queen’s […]

RELEASE: Leaked Draft Health Care Legislation a “Gargantuan Nightmare Scenario”: Community and Labour Groups Join Forces for Major Fightback

(February 1, 2019) Analysis Calling it a “bombshell”: the Ontario Health Coalition and the Ontario Federation of Labour responded to a leaked document revealing a draft health care legislation written by the Ford government in secret that would create a “super agency” with extraordinary powers to restructure Ontario’s entire health care system. The Ontario NDP […]

RELEASE: Thousands Demand Doug Ford Disavow Health Care Privatization and Cuts – Other Political Parties Respond Positively to Coalition’s Demand for Services to be Rebuilt & Restored

(October 23, 2018) Thousands Demand Doug Ford Disavow Health Care Privatization and Cuts, Other Political Parties Respond Positively to Coalition’s Demand for Services to be Rebuilt & Restored Toronto – “Hands Off Our Health Care” chanted a capacity crowd of an estimated 8,000 people who joined hands and encircled Queen’s Park today at the largest […]

RELEASE: Ontario Election 2018 Health Care Resources

Click on each heading for Ontario election resources: **New Leaflet inside (note: if printing use legal size paper) Leaflet outside (note: if printing used legal size paper) Election Platform- top issues and “asks” for our political parties Media Release Provincial Election Platform release Health Care Questions for Candidates All Candidates’ Meetings Media coverage of Health […]

RELEASE: $22 billion in cuts to funding for public services planned by Mr. Ford, worse than Harris, we are “extremely worried”

posted June 3, 2018

By Natalie Mehra, Executive Director Many Ontarians are captured by the idea of getting the same or more services for less money. But few know what the numbers might actually mean. Since Doug Ford did not release a clear platform, Ontarians know more about how much a beer may cost if the Conservative leader is […]

RELEASE: Provincial Election Discussion Should be About Rebuilding Public Hospitals & Long-Term Care Not “Efficiencies” or “Lean” or Code Words for Cuts: Health Coalition Calls for Concrete Commitments to Redress the Crisis in Access to Care

(May 16, 2018) Toronto – After touring Ontario in recent weeks, Health Coalition spokeswoman Natalie Mehra returned to Toronto this morning at a press conference outside the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Hospital to talk about the crisis in access to health care. Noting that the Coalition’s mandate is to protect public health care in […]

RELEASE: Deeply concerned about Doug Ford’s planned revenue cuts, comparison of parties’ commitments on key health care issues

(April 13, 2018) Toronto – Following the release of Doug Fords “platform” the Ontario Health Coalition has tried to analyze how Mr. Ford’s plan will impact health care funding. Over the next four years, with four days until the provincial election we still have no firm commitment on the level of hospital funding, nor any […]

RELEASE: Public Home Care Would Benefit Ontarians Despite Claims of Vested Interests/For-Profit Home Care Companies: Health Coalition Calls for More Details

(November 6, 2017) Toronto – A leaked presentation from the Ministry of Health revealed by CBC today indicates that the government is planning some sort of public home care agency for personal support work in the home. The Ontario Health Coalition has been advocating for public home care since the 1990s and reacted with cautious […]

RELEASE: Wynne Government’s Hospital Bed Announcement a Temporary Band-Aid But Health Coalition Slams Expanding Health Care Privatization

(October 23, 2017) Toronto – The Ontario Health Coalition congratulated the Health Minister for recognizing the crisis in Ontario’s hospitals and announcing 1,200 new hospital beds today. However, the coalition cautioned that this is only temporary band-aid that will partially alleviate the crisis but not solve it. One-fourth of the hospital money announced today was […]

RELEASE: Coalition Warns Health Minister: Privatization of Ontario’s Health Systems for Patient Records and Information Will Incite Massive Public Opposition

(October 7, 2016) Banking Executive is Not Trusted to Protect Patient or Public Interest, Especially After Hydro Privatization Debacle Toronto –This afternoon, the Wynne government has made public a formal invitation from the Health Minister to Ed Clark to “assess and validate the value these [health data, e-health records and related intellectual property and infrastructure] […]

RELEASE: User fees threatened for patients across Canada if court challenge negotiations fail to uphold Medicare

(September 29, 2014) At a press conference this morning, speakers Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition, Dr. Rupinder Brar, Board Member of Canadian Doctors for Medicare, Dr. Ryan Meili, Vice-Chair of Canadian Doctors for Medicare and Steven Shrybman, LL.B., Partner, Sack Goldblatt Mitchell raise the alarm about the threat of user fees […]

RELEASE: More than 80,000 Ontarians Vote to Stop Wynne Government Plan to Cut Local Community Hospitals and Contract Out Care to Private Clinics: Health Care Advocates Call On the Premier and New Health Minister to Stop the Privatization Plan

(July 8, 2014) One of the first major controversial issues faced by Ontario’s new Health Minister is the government’s plan to cut clinical services from local public hospitals and contract them out to regional private clinics. Today at the Ontario Legislature, hundreds of health care advocates representing every region of Ontario gathered to deliver more […]

RELEASE: More than 56,000 Ontarians vote to stop the dismantling of community hospitals in volunteer-led referendum: Health Coalition

(April 7, 2014) Over the last two and a half weeks, hundreds of volunteers with the Ontario Health Coalition have opened public voting stations to collect opinions about the government’s plan to cut services from local community hospitals and contract them out to high-volume private clinics. Balloting at over 100 voting stations and over 200 […]

RELEASE: Ontario’s Wynne Government Plans to Bring In Private Clinics: Threatens Non-Profit Community Hospital Care

(October 8, 2013) The Ontario government plans to introduce private specialty clinics to take the place of local community hospitals’ services. The government’s proposal would bring in legal regulations under the Independent Health Facilities Act and the Local Health System Integration Act to usher in private clinics and shut down services in community hospitals.

RELEASE: “OHC Austerity Index Part II” details how Hospital Cuts and Privatization Reach New Levels: Coalition Announces “S.O.S.” – Save Our Services – Day of Action

(January 25, 2013) At a Queen’s Park press conference this morning, the Ontario Health Coalition, representing more than 400 organizations dedicated to protecting public health care, warned that the Ontario government’s austerity budget is causing unprecedented cuts to and privatization of hospital services.

RELEASE: McGuinty Warned to Stop Health Care Privatization: OHC Responds to Drummond Commission

(December 7, 2011) The Ontario Health Coalition warns that the McGuinty government’s Drummond Commission must consider the vast body of evidence against health care privatization when drafting its report on public service reform in a press conference today at the Ontario Legislative building.

RELEASE: Coalition Applauds McGuinty Government for Taking Steps to Safeguard Single-Tier Medicare

(June 21, 2011) All Ontario Political Parties Should Make Clear Commitment Against For-Profit Privatization of Health Care Before October 6 Provincial Election

RELEASE: OHC Calls on McGuinty Government to Stop NHS Privatization Plan in Welland

(April 28, 2011) The Niagara Health System is planning to close about 120 hospitals beds at the Welland Hospital.

RELEASE: OHC Response to Throne Speech: Fears that New Hospital Funding System Threatens Patient Access, Leads to Privatization

(March 8, 2010) Premier Dalton McGuinty is planning changes to hospital funding systems, according to his Throne Speech today.

RELEASE: Documents Revealed Through Freedom of Information Request Show Increasing Privatization and Consolidation of Ontario’s Medical Laboratory Services

(October 8, 2009) Documents released after a two-year Freedom of Information battle reveal almost complete control of Ontario’s community medical laboratory services by three multinational corporations. Three multinational corporations are the big winner while local communities are losing lab services. Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Tory’s Health Platform: A Recipe For Privatization

(May 24, 2007) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Legal Challenge to Medicare: Charter Challenge against Medicare in Ontario opportunistic and dishonest

(May 2, 2007) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Private Clinic Aligns with Conservatives in Misleading Campaign to Privatize Health System

(March 22, 2007) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Ontario Health Coalition Slams Private Clinic Proposal & John Tory’s Support for Privatization

(March 16, 2007) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Health Coalitions Accuse Harper Government of Allowing Privatization and Not Improving the Public System

(February 5, 2007) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Two-Tier Health Clinic in Kingston Contravenes Law: OHC Calls on Ministry to Take Action

(December 12, 2006) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Legal Opinion on the Copeman Clinic

(January 30, 2006) Update: The Ontario Health Coalition released this legal opinion in a media conference. It was carried in a story on the front page of the Toronto Star, among other media. The Minister of Health, George Smitherman, took action against the unlawful practices described in our legal opinion. Ultimately the Copeman Clinics did […]

Toronto Star Editorial: Public health care cheapest and best

(December 22, 2005) While debate rages in Canada over private versus public approaches to health care, elsewhere the evidence is pouring in that public is best. In Britain, a major audit on the financial difficulties at London’s public Queen Elizabeth Hospital shows that so-called P3s, or public-private partnerships, may promise savings but in fact carry […]

Up to 23 New Hospitals to Be Privatized Under Government’s 5-Year Infrastructure Plan: Coalition Launches Major Plebiscite to Keep Hospitals Public

(May 25, 2005) Ontario Health Coalition 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 305, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Y8 tel: 416-441-2502 fax: 416-441-4073 email: ohc@sympatico.ca www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca May 25, 2005 For Immediate Release Attn: Assignment Editor Up to 23 New Hospitals to Be Privatized Under Government’s 5-Year Infrastructure Plan: Coalition Launches Major Plebiscite to Keep Hospitals Public Toronto/St. Catharines – […]

Budget Announcement Outlines Wholesale Hospital Privatization: Health Coalition Outraged at Betrayal

(May 11, 2005) Ontario Health Coalition 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 305, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Y8 Phone (416) 441-2502 Fax (416) 441-4073 email ohc@sympatico.ca May 11, 2005 For Immediate Release Attn: Assignment Editor Budget Announcement Outlines Wholesale Hospital Privatization: Health Coalition Outraged at Betrayal Toronto – The Ontario government has announced its intention to bring in […]

Billions in Public Taxes Risked by P3 Hospital Privatization: 100 Failed, Flawed and Abandoned Projects Used to Warn Politicians

(April 7, 2005) Toronto- As Ontario’s government is making plans to privatize hospitals, roads and schools under controversial long term deals with private finance and service corporations, a group of citizens’ organizations has issued a warning that the projects run the risk of being billion-dollar failures. Last July, Ontario’s Ministry of Infrastructure Renewal announced it […]

Billions in Public Taxes Risked by P3 Hospital Privatization: 100 Failed, Flawed and Abandoned Projects Used to Warn Politicians

(April 7, 2005) For Immediate Release Attn: Assignment Editor, Queen’s Park Media Billions in Public Taxes Risked by P3 Hospital Privatization: 100 Failed, Flawed and Abandoned Projects Used to Warn Politicians Toronto- As Ontario’s government is making plans to privatize hospitals, roads and schools under controversial long term deals with private finance and service corporations, […]

RELEASE: MRI – CT In-Hospital Investment Applauded by Ontario Health Coalition

(February 4, 2005) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: MRI Buyback A Sound Investment – Health Coalition Slams Tory Hypocricy

(July 23, 2004) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Coalition says private operator not appropriate for mental health and addictions facility on Queen

(September 9, 2003) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Profits poached from public health: Ontario government must cancel for-profit MRI and CT clinic, says Ontario Health Coalition

(August 6, 2003) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: For-Profit Hospitals & Clinics threaten the future of Medicare: Ontario Health Coalition Launches Fight Back

(March 31, 2003) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Coalition casts doubt on Clement’s MRI numbers, calls them “Unbelievable”

(February 28, 2003) Click here for Media Release

RELEASE: Eves guilty of hidden money, misspending: Ontario Health Coalition

(February 4, 2003) In anticipation of the First Ministers’ meetings in Ottawa this week, the Ontario Health Coalition is releasing a briefing note on provincial transparency and accountability in health spending. The coalition takes issue with the Eves government’s attempts to win more health spending without accountability. The briefing note outlines the enormous difficulty in […]