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ARTICLE · 15 AUGUST 2018

Does The Public Have The Right To Know Who The Top Billing Doctors Are?

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
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The public has a right to know the names of Ontario's top billing doctors, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled on August 3, 3018 in Ontario Medical Association v. Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner).

CanadaPrivacy
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Iris Fischer
Iris Fischer
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The public has a right to know the names of Ontario's top billing doctors, the Ontario Court of Appeal (Court) ruled on August 3, 3018 in Ontario Medical Association v. Ontario (Information and Privacy Commissioner). The Court upheld the Information and Privacy Commissioner's (IPC) decision to release the names of top billing doctors, finding that a person's gross business or professional income is not "personal information" under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

BACKGROUND

In 2014, Toronto Star reporter Theresa Boyle requested from Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (Ministry) the names, specialties, and amounts billed to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) of the top 100 billing doctors for the years 2008 through 2012. The Ministry disclosed anonymized billing amounts and some specialities, but refused to disclose the doctors' names.

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