ONTARIO MEDICAL SCAMS
 
     In 1993 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a
patients medical record belonged to the patient and not to
the Physician who had carried out the examination or
treatment. Since the Physician or Medical Laboratory had
already been paid by the OHIP or a third party.
     This meant that the patient could, for many reasons,
take their Medical records to some other Medical facility if
they wished to for other opinions or consultation, this of
course included any diagnostic tests, xrays, special tests
etc. The original primary Physician could keep copies of the
records, at their own expense if they so choose.
     However the court ruling did not work in that manner and
many patients that asked their Doctors for their files were
meat with having to pay excessive charges to obtain the
information or undergo a duplicate series of examinations at
a new Physicians facility, which resulted in additional
expense to the Government or the Private Insurance Company,
even to get the physician to sign or fill in forms for the
patients employer or Insurance Company would result in a
additional charge to the patient.At one Bloor St.West medical
practice the patients were charged $30.00 for telephone
advice during office hours, $15.00 for repeat prescriptions
and $25.00 for each 15 minutes travelling time to the
patients home.
     Now a Ontario Divisional Court has struck down the
Supreme Courts ruling by stating that the regulation was
outside the power of the Government. This now means that a
Physician can charge a annual fee of $50.00 per individual or
$100.00 per family to cover any service not covered by the
OHIP plan.
     While other guidelines set by the College of Physicians
and Surgeons will apply, it would appear that once again the
Doctors have won another battle.
 
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The Dragon's Den    1:250/104,    a&m@to.org     Toronto, Ont. (416)744-8654
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