Federal government taking back $82 million from 8 provinces charging patients private fees, says Health Minister

According to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal government is taking back $82 million in federal health payments to the provinces for charging patients for treatments that should have been paid for by the government.
The federal government’s upcoming health transfer will be reduced for eight provinces as a result of patient fees in 2020 and 2021.

Most of the deductions relate to the costs of diagnostic procedures like MRIs and CT scans. The 2020 implementation of a new diagnostic services strategy by Ottawa ensured that the single-payer policy under the Canada Health Act would cover the costs of said tests.

When provinces impose user fees for medically necessary health services, the Canada Health Act supposedly permits the federal government to cut down on their health transfers.

Additionally, Duclos, according to his statement, has also written to every province and territory to notify them about a rise in private costs for various services, including virtual patient visits.