Globe & Mail: Changes to virtual care billing in Ontario raise concerns over health care access

On October 7, 2022, Globe and Mail Health Reporter Carly Weeks wrote an article on the issue of Ontario’s new virtual care rules that will be implemented on December 1, 2022.  The article, which is behind the Globe and Mail’s paywall, can be found here: https://t.co/cJrOOY5qRB.

OAC Board member Dr. Richard Davies was interviewed for the article.  An excerpt follows:

Richard Davies, an Ottawa cardiologist and board member of the Ontario Association of Cardiologists, said the elimination of coverage for phone-based new patient visits will make it difficult for vulnerable patients to access virtual care. For instance, Dr. Davies said he sees many elderly patients who live outside of Ottawa who aren’t able to use technology for video calls, leaving them to travel lengthy distances for a visit that could have been done over the phone.

The changes will make it harder for people who live in parts of Ontario that don’t have high-speed internet or people who can’t afford the technology to access virtual care, he said.

“It becomes an accessibility barrier,” Dr. Davies said.

For more information, contact:

Tim Holman, Executive Director
Ontario Association of Cardiologists
34 Eglinton Ave. West, Suite 410
Toronto, Ontario M4R 2H6
Tel: 416-487-0054
Toll-Free: 1-877-504-1239
E-mail: admin@ontac.ca