cost of care

Ontario’s budget doesn’t look good for hospitals

Now that the government of Ontario has released its budget for 2016, we have a better sense of its health care priorities. This budget underscores the Ministry’s plans to focus on community-based care, hoping this will ease demand on more expensive sectors, including hospitals and drugs. Without a clear strategy for how to respond to

Is wisdom teeth removal really warranted?

In her 20s, Nancy Fornasiero’s dentist told her that her wisdom teeth should come out. They were impacted, which means they were stuck below the gums because they didn’t have enough room. She was warned that the teeth were more prone to decay and infection than other teeth, and that they should be removed before

Why do you have to pay for an ambulance?

Numerous media stories in the last year have highlighted the burden of ambulance fees for many Canadians. There is the story of the Saskatchewan woman battling fatal cancer whose non-optional ambulance trips from one hospital to another amounted to more than $5,000. There is the mom who had to call the ambulance several times when

House calls and Ontario’s election

In the run up to the Ontario election, the Liberal party has promised $60 million to support physician house calls. The number of doctors who make house calls has declined markedly over the past fifty years, and only a small proportion of Ontario family doctors currently provide ongoing care to patients in their homes.  What