Amid a growing shortage of family doctors and increasing pressure on Canada’s hospital systems, recent funding changes have slashed access to virtual care in Ontario — forcing some patients to choose between a potentially unnecessary emergency room visit and paying out of pocket for care that used to be free, according to the founder of one virtual care platform.
That platform, called Rocket Doctor, says cuts to funding have had a dramatic impact on its ability to provide services to patients.
The platform operates in B.C., Alberta and Ontario, but it has been asking Ontario patients to pay out of pocket ever since the province stripped funding to physicians offering virtual care in December. Another virtual care platform, Kixcare, switched to a paid format in response to the funding change as well.