Act
More Convenient Care Act, 2024
Regulation Number(s):
N/A
Instrument Type:
Act
Bill or Act:
Bill 231: More Convenient Care Act, 2024
Summary of Proposal:
Building upon the Connecting and Convenient Care Act, 2023, and the Strengthening Public Health Strategy announced at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in 2023 as well as the Digital First Health Strategy, Ontario has introduced the More Convenient Care Act, 2024 to bring forward additional bold, creative, and innovative solutions to ensure that people have convenient and connected access to care.
As part of the More Convenient Care Act, 2024 introduced on December 2, 2024, the Ministry of Health is proposing legislative amendments to the following Acts:
1. City of Hamilton Act, 1999
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the City of Hamilton Act, 1999 (administered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) to enable a semi-autonomous Board of Health governance model (where City Council appoints members, which can include community representatives, to a separate board of health). This is expected to improve service planning by fostering broader perspectives on the board of health and providing flexibility for representation to enhance local decision-making.
2. Health Protection and Promotion Act
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Health Protection and Promotion Act to require a local Medical Officer of Health to provide notice and receive the Chief Medical Officer of Health's (CMOH) approval of any Section 22 Class Order they intend to issue. Improving the CMOH's oversight of Section 22 Class Orders is expected to promote greater alignment, consistency and proportionality in Class Orders issued across regions while also providing greater opportunities to identify provincial supports.
3. Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006 to allow nurse practitioners to complete and sign Mandatory Blood Testing forms for an applicant that needs to apply to have the blood of another person tested for specific infectious diseases if they have come into contact with their bodily fluids.
4. Connecting Care Act, 2019
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Connecting Care Act, 2019 to affirm that Ontario Health atHome is subject to the French Language Services Act.
5. Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 to develop the necessary framework to support a secure verification and authentication service to enable individual access to personal health information in the provincial Electronic Health Record (EHR).
6. Proposed new legislation: Health Care Staffing Agency Reporting Act, 2024
The ministry is seeking feedback to create new legislation that would create a regulatory framework for staffing agencies to report administrative, billing, or pay rate information (financial information relating to the placement of certain health care providers at certain health care facilities) to the government.
As part of the More Convenient Care Act, 2024 introduced on December 2, 2024, the Ministry of Health is proposing legislative amendments to the following Acts:
1. City of Hamilton Act, 1999
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the City of Hamilton Act, 1999 (administered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) to enable a semi-autonomous Board of Health governance model (where City Council appoints members, which can include community representatives, to a separate board of health). This is expected to improve service planning by fostering broader perspectives on the board of health and providing flexibility for representation to enhance local decision-making.
2. Health Protection and Promotion Act
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Health Protection and Promotion Act to require a local Medical Officer of Health to provide notice and receive the Chief Medical Officer of Health's (CMOH) approval of any Section 22 Class Order they intend to issue. Improving the CMOH's oversight of Section 22 Class Orders is expected to promote greater alignment, consistency and proportionality in Class Orders issued across regions while also providing greater opportunities to identify provincial supports.
3. Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006 to allow nurse practitioners to complete and sign Mandatory Blood Testing forms for an applicant that needs to apply to have the blood of another person tested for specific infectious diseases if they have come into contact with their bodily fluids.
4. Connecting Care Act, 2019
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Connecting Care Act, 2019 to affirm that Ontario Health atHome is subject to the French Language Services Act.
5. Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004
The ministry is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 to develop the necessary framework to support a secure verification and authentication service to enable individual access to personal health information in the provincial Electronic Health Record (EHR).
6. Proposed new legislation: Health Care Staffing Agency Reporting Act, 2024
The ministry is seeking feedback to create new legislation that would create a regulatory framework for staffing agencies to report administrative, billing, or pay rate information (financial information relating to the placement of certain health care providers at certain health care facilities) to the government.
Analysis of Regulatory Impact:
Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) have been provided to the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction related to the legislative proposals in the More Convenient Care Act, 2024. The following are some key results from proposals that required RIAs:
•Requiring Section 22 Class Orders to be approved by the CMOH before being issued by a local Medical Officer of Health is expected to impose a small burden for Local Public Health Agencies by introducing additional time requirements with requiring an additional step for approval.
•The proposed changes to the City of Hamilton Board of Health governance would be small, with minimal additional costs and time associated with appointing citizen and educational representatives to the board of health.
•Creating a regulatory framework to require regular reports to be provided to the government is anticipated to create a minimal administrative burden on the temporary health care agency sector.
•Requiring Section 22 Class Orders to be approved by the CMOH before being issued by a local Medical Officer of Health is expected to impose a small burden for Local Public Health Agencies by introducing additional time requirements with requiring an additional step for approval.
•The proposed changes to the City of Hamilton Board of Health governance would be small, with minimal additional costs and time associated with appointing citizen and educational representatives to the board of health.
•Creating a regulatory framework to require regular reports to be provided to the government is anticipated to create a minimal administrative burden on the temporary health care agency sector.
Further Information:
News Release
Proposal Number:
24-HLTC044
Posting Date:
April 3, 2025
Comments Due Date:
January 30, 2025
Contact Address:
438 University Ave, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 2K8
Proposal Status:
Please note the comment period for this proposal ran from Dec 3, 2024 - Jan 30, 2025. The comment period is now closed.
When the election was called in January 2025, the current Parliament was dissolved and all business in the Legislature and its Committees ceased to exist. Bills, such as Bill 231- More Convenient Care Act, 2024, that were not passed by the House and given Royal Assent before dissolution did not become law. The ministry will consult with stakeholders should a similar Bill be considered in the next Parliament.
When the election was called in January 2025, the current Parliament was dissolved and all business in the Legislature and its Committees ceased to exist. Bills, such as Bill 231- More Convenient Care Act, 2024, that were not passed by the House and given Royal Assent before dissolution did not become law. The ministry will consult with stakeholders should a similar Bill be considered in the next Parliament.