The $3.2 Billion Health Care Question the Ford Government Doesn’t Want You to Ask
Aug. 13, 2026
Toronto Star
By Iris Gorfinkel Contributor
Iris Gorfinkel is a family physician and clinical researcher in Toronto.
“There always has to be accountability … that’s the least of our issues.” — Premier Doug Ford
By Oct. 1, Ontario will report on a $3.195 billion question: What measurable improvements did three years of federal health funding buy for patients facing long waits? The deadline looms as the province increasingly relies on private clinics.
The Ford government must report on two federal funding streams: $2.5 billion for four shared health priorities, plus nearly $700 million for mental health and substance-use services. In exchange, Ontario committed to an action plan, targets and public progress reports.
For the patient awaiting a cataract operation, knee replacement, MRI or mental-health care, the question is simpler: did this money make care arrive sooner?
Surgical and diagnostic money
The plan’s largest planned investment — about $1.25 billion — was earmarked for surgical and diagnostic capacity. Ontario’s public action-plan update does not show what portion reaches for-profit facilities and providers. The agreement was meant to reduce waits. Yet Ford keeps expanding private clinics, despite evidence that they draw on the same limited health-care workers as public hospitals — risking further staffing shortages and longer waits for hospital care.
Read more at the Toronto Star (paywall)
