Coercion by threat of harm by Ontario's physicians

This is a very good article in today's Toronto Star on the reasonableness – or the unreasonableness - of the Canadian Medical Protective Association’s legal protection and funding of doctors.

The Ontario public is funding the excruciatingly high costs to legally defend doctors – as The Star reports “the figure is $185 million and next year it will be $210 million — while each doctor's premium contribution remains fixed at the 1986 rate”

What is more of a concern is the appearance of extortion or forced coercion by threat from Ontario physicians in 1996 to threaten to harm patients by withdrawing medical services if they don’t get continued financial support

As the Star states: “former health minister Jim Wilson cancelled the subsidy when the cost rose to $52 million that year. But obstetricians threatened to stop delivering babies and other high-risk specialists said they would stop performing risky operations. Wilson backed down and eventually resigned.”