Ontario’s auditor general has uncovered startling irregularities in how some physicians bill the province’s health insurance plan, raising serious questions about oversight and potential misuse of taxpayer dollars.
In her annual report released this week, Auditor General Shelley Spence revealed that Ontario’s Ministry of Health still relies on a billing system dating back to the 1980s — a system that cannot automatically detect questionable OHIP claims. The outdated technology allowed a range of improbable submissions to slip through, including doctors billing for more than 24 hours of work in a single day, treating over 100 patients daily, or working every day of the year without a break.
Spence estimates that up to $665 million in payments may require further review to determine whether they were appropriate. The findings have prompted renewed scrutiny of how physician claims are monitored and how such anomalies went undetected for so long.
Tonight’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast takes a deep dive into the auditor’s findings. Jack Hauen, a Queen’s Park reporter for The Trillium, joins hosts Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith to unpack what the report uncovered, why the province’s billing technology is so outdated, and what the Ford government may need to do next.
Closer Look airs Monday to Friday at 7 p.m., offering in-depth conversations with journalists, experts and newsmakers about the stories shaping communities across Canada. Episodes are available in local news feeds, at closerlookpodcast.ca, and on all major podcast platforms.
Listeners can subscribe to the nightly newsletter or follow the show on YouTube, X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Feedback and story ideas can be sent to closerlook@villagemedia.ca.