iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Hospital MRIs unused overnight Advocates say province funds private clinics instead as HHS and St. Joe's cut hundreds of positions “We have infrastructure that is sitting idle,” said Andrew Longhurst. “It's not funded. It's not staffed.” www.thespec.com/news/hamilto... #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

From 2017 to 2025, median wait times increased for all cancer surgeries: bladder cancer surgery (up 8%), breast cancer surgery (up 33%), colorectal cancer surgery (up 5%), lung cancer surgery (up 25%), and prostate cancer surgery (up 18%) #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Cataract surgeries: median wait times for cataract surgeries increased from 67 days in 2017 to 68 days in 2025—or by 1%. This is despite the 185 per cent increase in public payments to private facilities for ophthalmologic procedures between 2017 and 2025 #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Wait times are increasing with greater for-profit involvement. Between 2017 and 2025, median wait times for eight of 12 priority procedures have increased in Ontario For example: MRI scans: median wait times increased from 35 days in 2017 to 47 days in 2025—34% increase #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Analysis of data obtained by FOI shows that unlawful extra-billing and user fees in for-profit facilities remain a systemic problem in Ontario From 2017 to 2025, there have been 715 validated contraventions for unlawful extra-billing or patient user fees #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Public payments to for-profit facilities are not transparently reported In 2024-25, the Public Accounts report $84.7m transferred to ICHSCs while FOI puts payments to ICHSCs at $659m The Public Accounts under-reported payments by 778 per cent in 2024-25 #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Public payments to for-profit facilities have increased faster than public hospital funding Post-Bill 60, public payments to: for-profit surgical facilities increased at an average annual growth rate of 22.8% medical imaging facilities at 10.7% Public hospital funding only grew at 4.9% #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For-profit surgical and medical imaging facilities received $4.1 billion in total funding from the Ontario government over the course of eight years (2017-18 to 2024-25) #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

For-profit surgeries and medical imaging are big business—and growing in Ontario thanks to government funding In 2024-25, for-profit surgical and medical imaging was a $674 million industry in Ontario, which increased from $457 million in 2017-18—increasing by 48% #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Most services provided in ICHSCs are medical imaging, including diagnostic ultrasound (41 per cent) and radiography (21 per cent). Eight ICHSCs are contracted by the Ministry of Health to perform plastic surgeries. Six perform eye surgeries. Seven facilities perform CT and MRI scans #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I’m here with @marclee.bsky.social & Rachel Pettigrew from @policyalternatives.ca Excited to hear from Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks at the annual Rosenbluth Lecture Their NEW book is out now!

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

It’s 2:47am on the west coast I’ve got my coffee and water—and I’m ready for three hours (!) of CBC Radio morning shows discussing Alberta’s unprecedented move to create US-style, two-tier health care.

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Say NO to Alberta's US-Style Health Care! On Sep 1, join the National Day of Action to demand that the federal government enforce the Canada Health Act Join in-person actions at MP offices in Penticton, Vancouver, Victoria & across Canada dayofaction.healthcoalition.ca #cdnpoli #bcpoli #abpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Which provinces are doing worst? Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Ontario have the highest private health care spending… Nova Scotia ($3,015), Alberta ($2,852), and Ontario ($2,852) had the highest per person private health care spending in the country, and above the Cdn average of $2,602 #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Private spending has been growing especially fast in a handful of areas, with private spending on home and community care, non-physician professionals, and physicians growing fastest over the past three years (2021-23) With AB's new two-tier system, except private spending on physicians to increase

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Most private health care spending is on non-physician professionals, drugs, and long-term care This is not surprising considering these services are not universally publicly insured under the Canada Health Act and the federal government has abandoned national pharmacare #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Private health care spending grew nearly twice as fast as public spending in Canada, per person, from 2021 to 2023 (8.1 per cent vs. 4.3 per cent) This is cause for concern and means there are growing gaps in access to publicly funded health care services #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Some say Cdn health care should be more like Western Europe I agree: let's increase the public % of health care spending Canada ranks near the bottom of OECD countries—28 out of 35—for its relatively low share of public health care spending compared to the private share of total spending #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

On Thursday, @cfnu.bsky.social released a new report by Nate Little and me, which was shared at the CFNU policy breakfast with all premiers in Charlottetown The analysis finds that P/Ts stand to lose more than $51B if the Canada Health Transfer reverts to the Harper-era growth formula #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

This is a significant transfer of public wealth into for-profit seniors’ facilities where the research has shown that care outcomes are generally inferior to care provided in public and not-for-profit facilities.

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

The federal government appears unwilling to stand up to the Alberta government and uphold the Canada Health Act Public health care is Canada's greatest social achievement Bill 11 is a clear violation of the Canada Health Act. Alberta wants to kill public medicare #cdnpoli #abpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Lowest-income people have the worst access to a regular primary care provider In 2024, 80%of the lowest-income Cdns had a regular health provider compared to 86% of the highest income. This gap has remained the same since 2015. Gaps greatest in MB, BC, SK Equity must be central to reforms 9/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Access to regular nurse practitioners increased in every province Although NPs represent a small share of primary care provision, their contributions are important and growing Between 2015 & 2024, share of Canadians with access to a regular NP increased from 0.8% to 2.1% 8/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

In Canada, access to a regular family doctor declined from 80 per cent to 78.5 per cent of the population between 2015 and 2024—or by 1.5 percentage points. Canadians’ access to a regular family doctor declined in 7/10 provinces. 6/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

My new @policyalternatives.ca research featured on the front page of the Windsor Star windsorstar.com/news/local-n... #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Hamilton Health Sciences balances budget for first time in years—but at what cost? My new @policyalternatives.ca report featured on the front page of the Hamilton Spectator @thespec1846.bsky.social www.thespec.com/news/hamilto... #ONpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

These ideas are harmful to workers as well as the patients and communities who depend on their skills and commitment. Between 2016 and 2025, the average wage for vacant hospital positions was seven per cent lower in 2024 than 2016, when adjusting for inflation. 17/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

The Ontario government also suggests that the care economy is not the ‘real’ economy. These claims are used to justify underinvestment in health care and the devaluing of work in the care economy. In 2024, there were 1.4 million jobs in the care economy—representing one in five jobs in Ontario. 16/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Staffed hospital beds are far below what is required – and it’s projected to get worse 13/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

The second indicator demonstrates that wait times to be admitted to an inpatient bed are dramatically increasing for patients waiting in the ED. In 2020-21, 90% of patients waiting in the ED spent 29 hours to be admitted, which increased to 44 hours in 2024-25. This is an increase of 52% 9/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

The ED wait time for patients to receive an initial physician assessment has significantly increased over the last five years. 90 per cent of patients waited 2.7 hours in 2020-21 which increased to 4.5 hours in 2024-25—an increase of 67 per cent. 8/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

When analyzed by size of hospital, smaller hospitals with operating revenues under $100 million disproportionately had deficits in 2024-25: Smaller hospitals made up 61 per cent of the hospitals in deficit, but made up only 49 per cent of all Ontario hospitals 5/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Hospitals in northern and western regions were more likely to be in deficit in 2024-25. In Erie St. Clair and Mississauga Halton, all hospitals were in deficit, followed by Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant (78%), Waterloo Wellington (71%), and the North East (63%). 3/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Good news: For-profit staffing agency hours are dramatically down in Quebec following efforts to phase out this parasitic industry Now, we end other provinces to step with a clear plan to phase out costly for-profit staffing agencies. Looking at BC, AB, ON www.lapresse.ca/affaires/chr...

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

What is the extent of the involvement of private insurers in Alberta’s health care reforms? Did the industry draft the legislation? Has the U.S. private health insurance industry been involved? These are all important questions for which Canadians deserve answers #abpoli #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Alberta will be the first province to legislate self-referral private-pay diagnostic testing against the Canada Health Act The next step as part of its two-tier health care plan #abpoli #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Recent Abacus polling shows health care is the number 3 top issue facing the country Cost of living is number 1 If Alberta gets its way with two-tier health care, there is a huge threat that health care becomes a cost of living issue for every one #cdnpoli #abpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Provincial funding austerity benefits privately financed—or “private-pay”—health care. When individuals and households are forced to pay out-of-pocket or with private insurance for health care services, this is a form of privatization. My analysis: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Our @policyalternatives.ca analysis unfortunately sums up this budget “It’s a time of plenty for private health care while public hospitals starve,” said senior researcher Andrew Longhurst in a reference to Premier Ford’s plan to put more cataract surgeries, hip and knee replacements into clinics.

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

The 2026-27 Ontario budget falls at least $3 billion short of what is needed to mantain current service levels #onpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Longhurst says the situation raises broader questions about Canada’s reliance on a paid plasma system #skpoli #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

This is your periodic reminder that this the multi-payer, for-profit health system that Alberta wants us to emulate The US is an outlier when it comes to health care spending (green dot) We need the federal government to stand up for the Canada Health Act and say no to Alberta's Bill 11

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I was pleased to speak at the National Day of Action to break the silence on two tier health care MP Fry said that Alberta is contravening the Canada Health Act and will have federal transfer payments withheld #bcpoli #cdnpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Be under no illusion that Israel plans to carry out another genocide—in Lebanon

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Slightly above the Canadian average in 2023

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

My recent analysis shows that private per capita LTC spending is growing at more than double the rate of public spending over the last decade Hitting the brakes on new LTC construction is only going to increase private out-of-pocket and insurance spending on LTC for seniors and families #bcpoli

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

#BCpoli budget takeaway: the rising cost of increased MD pay MSP spending (mainly MDs) up 9.3% in 2026-27, outpaces regional health services at 2.5% Budget highlights the significant pressure of MD compensation At the same time, non-physician health care workers have had to (threaten) strikes

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Rather than market utopias, as the Alberta government seems to suggest, these health systems have more extensive public coverage of health services, prescription drugs, and seniors’ care. 30/

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Andrew Longhurst 🇨🇦 🍉 @alonghurst.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

BC residents have shrinking access to family doctors, despite more doctors and increased funding www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... #bcpoli #cdnpoli #primarycare

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