Private clinics are popping up all over Canada. As a result, patients are now being hit with skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs for the primary care services they need. This overall troubling trend has created an extremely worrisome access crisis to life-saving and necessary medical care. The Canada Health Act forbids extra billing for publicly funded primary care, further fueling the urgency of this crisis.
The answer in recent years has become private clinics, where a growing number of Canadians are finding relief from often years-long waits for urgent care. Many of these facilities are still charging patients thousands of dollars a year to access primary care services. The federal government told us that Canadians spent over $62 M out of pocket for medically necessary services in the 2022-23 fiscal year. This begs the essential question of what these expenses do to our already fragile public healthcare system.
The Growth of Private Clinics
Indeed, frustration is growing across the country with sky-high wait times and a lack of access to family physicians. Due to this, millions are now seeking care in private clinics. Millions have been cut off from making appointments with their public hospital-based providers, thus forcing them to go somewhere else.
Dr. Martin Potter is a family physician who established Clinique Santé Plus in Quebec in 2022 after exiting the public health system. He underscored the struggles that patients face with getting to care. He noted, “It’s been more and more difficult in the last few years in Quebec to access your own family doctor, even if you have one.” His clinic can now bill $150 for a 15-minute appointment. After a short physical exam, the price skyrockets to $300, underscoring the punitive financial hardship imposed on patients just to access care.
The recruiting corporation for Clinique Santé Plus indicated that Dr. Rita McCracken, another physician at the clinic, would limit her patient load to 400. This disproportionate workload is more than double that of the average family doctor in her area, who sees about 1,200 patients. The decreased patient load leads to serious questions around the sustainability and accessibility of care in these for-profit clinics.
Financial Implications for Patients
The fiscal cost of using private accredited care is enormous. Patients are likely to experience fees that may be frightening given they are repeatedly paying taxes on public health care. Our Canada Health Act is explicit that Canadians should never have to pay directly for medically necessary care. These services need to be both available and publicly funded. In the context of increasingly accessible private clinics, patients often feel pressured to fork over this cash for timely treatment.
This is how Anisa Carrascal was affected by private clinic pricing. She said, “That was kind of the first sticker shock. Her story is unfortunately becoming the reality for more Canadians every day. Or they’re entirely unprepared for the prohibitive costs of accessing care outside of the public system.
The $62 million that Canadians spend out of pocket for medically necessary services is a symptom of a deeper trend. As more individuals turn to private clinics due to difficulties accessing public healthcare, the question arises: is this shift undermining the principles established by the Canada Health Act?
Concerns About Quality and Equity
Private clinics offer less and quicker wait times, and as the sort of immediate access to care. They highlight an important concern about equity in healthcare. The Canada Health Act was designed to ensure that access to medical services is based on need rather than income. Private care is becoming a more popular option among patients. This troubling trend has serious implications for the disadvantaged who cannot afford the exorbitant alternative costs.
Dr. Rita McCracken expressed her dismay at the general turn towards for-profit healthcare models. She stated, “I think what we should be expecting our federal politicians to do is to be holding up a standard of what is the minimum healthcare that a Canadian can expect in each province.” Her statement underscores the ongoing need to fight for universal, equitable healthcare access as costs continue to climb and healthcare becomes increasingly privatized.
As Canadians prepare to vote in upcoming elections, individuals like Anisa Carrascal encourage others to consider long-term impacts. She urged voters to “think about 20 years in the future and vote accordingly.” Her call to action serves as a reminder that we must prioritize building a sustainable and equitable healthcare system that works for all Canadians.
