Minister of Health’s inaction leaves Ontarians paying out of pocket for essential health care

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPPs Dr. Robin Lennox, Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions with responsibility for Primary Care, and MPP France Gélinas, Shadow Minister for Health are calling out the Minister of Health for dodging questions on nurse practitioners' funding.

“It is unacceptable that patients are still being forced to pay out of pocket for primary care because nurse practitioners haven’t been brought under OHIP as they should be,” said MPP Dr. Lennox. “Premier Ford and his Minister of Health have the ability to fix this immediately and expand access to primary care, particularly in rural and remote areas. Instead, they continue to drag their feet while Ontarians either pay out-of-pocket or go without.”

“Ontario has been going through a worsening health care crisis for 8 years under Premier Ford,” said MPP Gélinas, “and now his Minister of Health is dodging the media, avoiding answering to Ontarians, why Ontario will miss the federals' deadline for funding nurse practitioners. She knows this is her responsibility and she is failing. Meanwhile sick people end up having to pay for care that falls under the Canada Health Act.”