Canadian clinic operations
Understanding Clinic Operations and Employment in Canada (with a focus on Ontario) 1. Background on Canada’s health‑care system Publicly funded system: Canada has a publicly funded health system. Each province/territory administers its own insurance plan (e.g., the Ontario Health Insurance Plan – OHIP ), funds physician services, and regulates health‑care providers. Patients usually do not pay directly for medically necessary services; instead, clinics and physicians bill the provincial insurer. Private clinics offer services that are not publicly insured (e.g., cosmetic procedures or extended physiotherapy) and must still follow provincial regulations. Team‑based primary care: Canadian governments are moving toward team‑based primary care to improve access. Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows the number of nurse practitioners has more than doubled since 2014 and thousands of registered nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists have been added to the wo...