Bill 60 explained in plain English
Your Health Act, 2023
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 60 creates a new licensing system for integrated community health services centres in Ontario, replaces the old Independent Health Facilities Act, expands the scope of practice for some health professionals, and amends freedom of information rules for certain government data units.
Bill 60, the Your Health Act, 2023, makes significant changes to Ontario's health care system. It creates a new law called the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023, which replaces the old Independent Health Facilities Act. This new law sets up a licensing system for integrated community health services centres (which are places like community surgical and diagnostic centres where people receive health services). The bill establishes rules about how these centres can operate, who can run them, what services they can provide, and how they get paid by the government. It also makes changes to several other health-related laws to expand the roles of nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals, and allows the government to create new rules about who can work as a "physician" or perform other regulated health duties. Additionally, the bill changes freedom of information rules to apply to certain government data units.
- Creates the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023, which establishes a licensing system for integrated community health services centres operated by private or non-profit operators
- Requires anyone who wants to establish or operate an integrated community health services centre to obtain a license from a Director appointed by the Minister of Health
- Sets out rules for the Director to issue, renew, transfer, relocate, suspend, or revoke licenses, and allows the Minister to direct the Director on licensing decisions
- Establishes requirements that licensees must follow, including complying with quality and safety standards, handling patient complaints, reporting incidents, and maintaining truthful records
- Sets out rules for how the Minister pays for the operation of integrated community health services centres and prohibits charging patients for services covered by public insurance
- Establishes an inspection system with inspectors and inspecting bodies (such as health organizations) that can inspect centres, issue compliance orders, and establish quality standards
- Creates processes for patients or licensees to request hearings before the Health Services Appeal and Review Board to challenge certain decisions
- Repeals the Independent Health Facilities Act and the Oversight of Health Facilities and Devices Act, 2017
- Makes changes to multiple other health-related laws to allow persons prescribed by regulation to meet definitions of 'physician', 'registered nurse', and other regulated health professions
- Allows the Minister of Health to make regulations to exempt people from some professional title restrictions (such as the title 'physician')
- Expands the scope of practice for pharmacists to include assessing conditions for medication therapies
- Changes freedom of information rules to apply to certain extra-ministerial data integration units
- Operators of integrated community health services centres (private companies, non-profit organizations, or other entities) who must now obtain licenses and comply with the new Act
- Patients receiving services at integrated community health services centres in Ontario
- Health professionals such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory technologists, respiratory therapists, and medicine practitioners who may find their scope of practice expanded or who may be prescribed as 'physicians' or other professionals under regulations
- The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) which pays for services at licensed integrated community health services centres
- The Minister of Health and the Director of integrated community health services centres who have new powers and responsibilities
- Inspecting bodies (such as health organizations) designated to inspect integrated community health services centres and set quality standards
- Inspectors who conduct inspections of these centres
- The Health Services Appeal and Review Board which hears appeals about licensing and payment decisions
- Staff and employees at integrated community health services centres who must comply with quality and safety standards
- Government data integration units that collect personal information, which now must comply with freedom of information rules
- Operators of integrated community health services centres must obtain a license from the Director and comply with all requirements of the Act
- Licensees must comply with quality and safety standards established by inspecting bodies or prescribed in regulations
- Licensees must establish and maintain processes for receiving and responding to patient complaints
- Licensees must establish and maintain processes for reviewing incidents where patients are seriously harmed
- Licensees must provide truthful, complete and accurate information in applications, reports, and documents
- Licensees must maintain detailed records of services provided and facility costs charged
- Licensees must post certain prescribed documents and information in a prominent place visible to the public
- Licensees cannot use a license as security for any obligation
- Licensees cannot charge or accept payments for providing patients with preferences in accessing services
- Licensees cannot refuse to provide services to patients who choose not to pay for optional products or services
- The Minister may refuse to pay for services that were not rendered, were not in accordance with requirements, or do not meet quality standards
- The Minister may require reimbursement of payments made for services or may require reimbursement if a patient was not entitled to coverage
- Interest accrues on amounts owed to the Minister at post-judgment interest rates
- Patients have the right to request a hearing before the Health Services Appeal and Review Board to challenge payment refusals or reimbursement requirements
- Licensees have the right to request a hearing before the Health Services Appeal and Review Board to challenge decisions to refuse, not renew, revoke, or suspend licenses
- Health professionals may be exempt from restrictions on using professional titles if prescribed by regulation
- Extra-ministerial data integration units must publish annual information about their requests for records and programs
- The main Act (Your Health Act, 2023) came into force on the day it received Royal Assent (May 18, 2023)
- Most of the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023 (Schedule 1) came into force on the day the Your Health Act, 2023 received Royal Assent, but certain sections come into force on a day to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor
- Some amendments in Schedule 2 (Regulated Professions Amendments) came into force on the day the Your Health Act, 2023 received Royal Assent, but sections 1 to 10, 12 and 13 come into force on a day to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor
- Sections 1 to 5 of Schedule 3 (Freedom of Information amendments) come into force on a day to be proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor
- The Minister may pay facility costs or other operating costs of integrated community health services centres (the actual amount will be determined by regulations and government budgeting)
- Licensees must pay fees established by inspecting bodies for inspections and other activities
- Interest accrues on amounts licensees owe to the Minister at post-judgment interest rates under the Courts of Justice Act
- The Ontario Health Insurance Plan may reimburse patients for facility costs charged in contravention of the Act and can recover the amounts through set-off
- Regulations may prescribe what counts as a 'facility cost' (charges beyond the insured service itself)
- The Director can refuse to issue or renew a license, revoke or suspend a license, amend license conditions, or refuse to approve license transfers
- The Director can issue compliance orders requiring licensees to take specific actions or refrain from actions to achieve compliance
- Inspectors can enter licensed facilities and other places to conduct inspections and examine records
- Courts can issue orders to compel a justice to authorize entry for inspections if an inspector is prevented from entering
- Any person who contravenes the Act is guilty of an offence
- Individuals convicted of offences are liable to fines of up to $50,000 for a first offence or $100,000 for subsequent offences, and up to 12 months imprisonment (except for failure to comply with compliance orders)
- Corporations convicted of offences are liable to fines of up to $100,000 for a first offence or $500,000 for subsequent offences
- The Attorney General can seek a restraining order to prevent contraventions of licensing or payment rules
- Courts can order compensation or restitution to persons who suffered losses due to offences
- The Minister can set-off amounts owed by a licensee against payments the Minister owes to them
- Decisions of the Board can be enforced through the courts as if they were court judgments
- The exact details of what counts as a 'facility cost' and what services are covered will be set out in regulations that have not yet been made public
- The specific quality and safety standards that licensed centres must comply with will be determined by inspecting bodies and may be prescribed in regulations
- The identity of inspecting bodies (health organizations that will oversee quality standards and conduct inspections) is not specified in the bill but will be set by regulation
- The specific regulations that will prescribe persons who can meet the definition of 'physician' or other regulated health professionals have not yet been made public
- The process for the Minister to approve the exemption of persons from restricted title provisions has not been fully detailed
- Some provisions of the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act are not in force yet and will only come into force when the Lieutenant Governor proclaims them
- The bill does not specify how much money the government will allocate to pay for the operation of integrated community health services centres
- Some provisions about regulated professions amendments are not yet in force and will only come into force on a proclamation date
- The bill does not provide specific timelines for when certain transitional provisions will be fully implemented
The old law that governed independent health facilities is completely removed and replaced by the new Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023
This law is removed from the Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act, 2017
A new law is created to license and regulate community health services centres
Updated to define 'physician' to include prescribed persons (to be determined by regulation) and to add rules about integrated community health services centres
Changed to allow x-ray machines to be operated under a prescription from a prescribed person (not just doctors)
Allows the Minister to exempt people from rules about using restricted titles
Allows the Minister to exempt people from rules about using restricted titles
Allows the Minister to exempt people from rules about using restricted titles
Allows the Minister to exempt people from rules about using restricted titles
Updated to allow prescribed persons to dispense and prescribe drugs and exempts some prescribers from recording requirements
Expands what pharmacists can do to include assessing conditions for medication therapies
Updated to define 'physician' to include prescribed persons and to reference integrated community health services centres
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres and removes certain provisions about independent health facilities
Updated to include integrated community health services centres as health sector organizations
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Definitions of 'physician' and different classes of nurses are expanded to include prescribed persons
Changed to apply to prescribed persons engaged in the practice of medicine in Ontario
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres
Removes provisions related to independent health facilities
Removes provisions related to independent health facilities
Removes provisions related to independent health facilities
Updated to reference the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023 for appeal and review purposes
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Extended to apply to certain extra-ministerial data integration units that are not government institutions
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres
Updated to refer to persons operating integrated community health services centres
Updated to refer to integrated community health services centres instead of independent health facilities
Removes provisions related to independent health facilities
Removes provisions related to data integration units
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
Representative Voting Breakdown
Vote badges include text labels so the table stays readable for everyone, even without color cues alone.
| Representative | Role | Riding | Party | Vote | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPP | Brampton West | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Windsor—Tecumseh | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Essex | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Scarborough—Agincourt | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Markham—Unionville | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Cambridge | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Simcoe—Grey | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Richmond Hill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Peterborough—Kawartha | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Scarborough Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Newmarket—Aurora | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Mississauga—Malton | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Carleton | Independent | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton East | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Barrie—Innisfil | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Northumberland—Peterborough South | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Flamborough—Glanbrook | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Etobicoke North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Oxford | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Simcoe North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Thunder Bay—Atikokan | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Etobicoke Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Vaughan—Woodbridge | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | York Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Hamilton East—Stoney Creek | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Mississauga—Streetsville | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Markham—Stouffville | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Pickering—Uxbridge | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton South | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Scarborough North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Elgin—Middlesex—London | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Niagara West | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Willowdale | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Oakville | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | King—Vaughan | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Dufferin—Caledon | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Durham | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Chatham-Kent—Leamington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Nipissing | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Mississauga East—Cooksville | Independent | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Thornhill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Nepean | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Markham—Thornhill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Whitby | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Perth—Wellington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | York South—Weston | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Lambton—Kent—Middlesex | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Burlington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Milton | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Ajax | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Hastings—Lennox and Addington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Sarnia—Lambton | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Eglinton—Lawrence | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Mississauga—Lakeshore | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Mississauga—Erin Mills | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Glengarry—Prescott—Russell | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Bay of Quinte | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Brantford—Brant | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Don Valley East | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Parkdale—High Park | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Waterloo | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Ottawa West—Nepean | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Spadina—Fort York | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Scarborough Southwest | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Nickel Belt | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Mushkegowuk—James Bay | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Sudbury | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Niagara Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | St. Catharines | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Oshawa | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Ottawa Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Ottawa South | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Timiskaming—Cochrane | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Toronto Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Windsor West | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Thunder Bay—Superior North | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Ottawa—Vanier | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Davenport | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Beaches—East York | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Algoma—Manitoulin | Independent | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Guelph | Green Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Hamilton Mountain | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | London West | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Toronto—Danforth | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Kiiwetinoong | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Don Valley West | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Orléans | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | London North Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | London—Fanshawe | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Humber River—Black Creek | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Niagara Falls | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced