Access to virtual care in jeopardy after fee structure changes
The province is set to cut fees it pays doctors for virtual care visits on Thursday, impacting millions of patients across Ontario who rely on the service.
Robyn Edwards turned to virtual care after losing her family doctor two years ago.
"The Rocket Doctor system has been a saving grace for me," Edwards said. "It has prevented me a few times from going to an emergency room."
Edwards needs annual biopsies and relies on virtual doctors for referrals.
"Thankfully last week I was able to get a referral from Rocket Doctor but if this was after December 1st I wouldn't be able to do that," she said "I don't know what I'm going to do next year. I'm on a waitlist, I've joined every list that I come across."
As of Dec. 1, the province is cutting fees it pays physicians for virtual care visits after reaching an agreement with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA).
"We're talking about 50 per cent reduction," said Dr. William Cherniak, a physician and founder and CEO of virtual care platform Rocket Doctor.
He also started an online petition calling for technology to be embraced to ensure access.
"The way that things are changing is it will become essentially impossible for physicians to provide the comprehensive coordinated care that they've been doing on Rocket Doctor for any patient that they haven't previously seen in person," he said. "And so millions of people are going to lose access to care tomorrow."
In a statement the OMA said "there was no publicly funded virtual care in Ontario before the pandemic, except for limited services through the Ontario Telemedicine Network."
"The OMA believes the best care is inside the patient-doctor relationship. Virtual care is fully funded by OHIP under this new agreement when there is this ongoing relationship."
For one-off visits when physicians don't have a relationship with a patient, OHIP will pay the doctor $20 for a video visit and $15 for a telephone visit, a dramatic drop from what is currently paid.
In a statement the ministry of health writes it "has taken a patient first approach to ensure that Ontarians will continue to have access to the care they need, when they need it" and that "virtual care is intended to complement in-person care, not replace it."
"It is frustrating but it's also devastating," said Edwards. "I'm grateful that I'm relatively healthy and can advocate for myself. This is taking away a very essential service from people that have accessibility issues, who just can't get out to see a doctor and we are now in a virtual world and it just made perfect sense that this was a service being offered virtually and to have it taken away I don't get it."
Edwards recently received her licence plate sticker refund in the mail and says she'd rather have greater access to healthcare.
"I'm scared for those who have no choice but to go to an emergency and I'm worried about the future of our healthcare," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Eurovision Song Contest final kicks off after protests, backstage chaos and a contestant's expulsion
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest finally got down to musical business Saturday in the Swedish city of Malmo after days of protests and offstage drama that have tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man arrested after allegedly caught trespassing at Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Toronto police say a man has been taken into custody after he was allegedly caught trespassing at Drake's mansion in Bridle Path Saturday afternoon.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.