Health Minister Eric Hoskins has told reporters the that billing of medical specialists in Ontario is out of control and that it threatens home and community care in the province. Mr. Hoskins (St. Paul’s) introduced a desperate note into the government’s efforts to manage and pay for OHIP. He suggested the present arrangement is not sustainable. “Unpredictable and frankly out of control billing by some doctors is a problem that creates huge income for some doctors, but it leaves less for family doctors,” the minister. “It leaves less for our salaried doctors in community health centres, it squeezes our ability to invest more money in home care and community care, and it robs of us of the capacity to responsibly plan our health care spending each year.” Specialists he said “effectively set their own salaries,” and at an average of $360,000 a year are the highest paid in Canada. Canadian Press
