Bill 13, Primary Care Act, 2025

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s aid to Bill 13 and does not form part of the law. Bill 13 has been enacted as Chapter 8 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2025.

The Primary Care Act, 2025 is enacted. Its purpose is to establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for primary care so that insured persons know what they should expect when accessing primary care within Ontario. The Act sets out objectives respecting the design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario. The Minister is required to prepare an annual report describing how the Government of Ontario is working to achieve the objectives.

Bill 13 2025

An Act respecting primary care

Preamble

The Government of Ontario:

Recognizes that primary care is the foundation of Ontario’s publicly funded health care system and that primary care should be the first point of contact and the ongoing point of contact for insured persons seeking health care within Ontario.

Acknowledges that health care systems built upon robust primary care result in better population health, lower health care costs and better access.

Recognizes that team-based primary care can increase system capacity and improve health outcomes for patients while also enhancing the satisfaction of team members.

Envisions a primary care system that is based on a set of objectives based in evidence and best practice.

Believes that empowering individuals with the knowledge and information to support their well-being is an essential component of health promotion and an effective health care system.

Reaffirms its commitment to satisfying the criteria set out in the Canada Health Act respecting public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility.

Is committed to improving access to publicly funded primary care services in a way that respects the dignity and human rights of Ontario’s diverse communities, including French language speakers and Indigenous peoples.

Therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 In this Act,

“insured person” has the same meaning as in the Health Insurance Act; (“assuré”)

“Minister” means the Minister of Health or such other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act may be assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act; (“ministre”)

“personal health information” has the same meaning as in the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. (“renseignements personnels sur la santé”)

Purpose

2 The purpose of this Act is to establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for primary care so that insured persons know what they should expect when accessing primary care within Ontario.

Objectives

3 The Government of Ontario shall have the following objectives in its design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario:

   1.  Province-wide: Insured persons across the Province should have the opportunity to have a documented and ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician or team.

   2.  Connected: Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that are co-ordinated with existing health and social services.

   3.  Convenient: Insured persons should have access to timely primary care services.

   4.  Inclusive: Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that are free from barriers and free from discrimination prohibited by the Human Rights Code or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

   5.  Empowered: Insured persons should have the opportunity to access their personal health information through a digitally-integrated primary care system that connects insured persons to clinicians involved in their care.

   6.  Responsive: The primary care system should respond to the needs of the communities it serves, and insured persons should have access to information about how the system is performing and adapting.

Report by Minister

4 (1)  The Minister shall prepare an annual report describing how the Government of Ontario is working to achieve the objectives set out in section 3 in its design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario.

Contents of report

(2)  The report shall include such information as the Minister considers appropriate and the following information:

   1.  The percentage of insured persons in Ontario who have an ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician or team.

   2.  Such other information as may be prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Report to be made public

(3)  The Minister shall make the first report available to the public no later than one year following the day this Act comes into force and each subsequent report no later than one year following the day the most recent report was published.

No establishment of private law right, duty

5 Nothing in this Act or any regulation made under this Act establishes a private law right or duty, including a private law duty of care or fiduciary duty, owing to any person.

Effect of failure to comply

6 Failure to comply with this Act or any regulation made under this Act does not affect the validity of any policy, Act, regulation, directive, instrument or decision.

Regulations

7 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

  (a)  defining or clarifying the meaning of any word or expression used in this Act that is not otherwise defined in this Act;

  (b)  setting out additional details regarding the objectives set out in section 3;

  (c)  prescribing information for the purpose of paragraph 2 of subsection 4 (2), which may include key performance indicators;

  (d)  governing the manner in which the report mentioned in section 4 is to be made available to the public.

Commencement

8 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

9 The short title of this Act is the Primary Care Act, 2025.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Primary Care Act, 2025 is enacted. Its purpose is to establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for primary care so that insured persons know what they should expect when accessing primary care within Ontario. The Act sets out objectives respecting the design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario. The Minister is required to prepare an annual report describing how the Government of Ontario is working to achieve the objectives.

Bill 13 2025

An Act respecting primary care

Preamble

The Government of Ontario:

Recognizes that primary care is the foundation of Ontario’s publicly funded health care system and that primary care should be the first point of contact and the ongoing point of contact for insured persons seeking health care within Ontario.

Acknowledges that health care systems built upon robust primary care result in better population health, lower health care costs and better access.

Recognizes that team-based primary care can increase system capacity and improve health outcomes for patients while also enhancing the satisfaction of team members.

Envisions a primary care system that is based on a set of objectives based in evidence and best practice.

Believes that empowering individuals with the knowledge and information to support their well-being is an essential component of health promotion and an effective health care system.

Reaffirms its commitment to satisfying the criteria set out in the Canada Health Act respecting public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility.

Is committed to improving access to publicly funded primary care services in a way that respects the dignity and human rights of Ontario’s diverse communities, including French language speakers and Indigenous peoples.

Therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 In this Act,

“insured person” has the same meaning as in the Health Insurance Act; (“assuré”)

“Minister” means the Minister of Health or such other member of the Executive Council to whom responsibility for the administration of this Act may be assigned or transferred under the Executive Council Act; (“ministre”)

“personal health information” has the same meaning as in the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. (“renseignements personnels sur la santé”)

Purpose

2 The purpose of this Act is to establish the Government of Ontario’s vision for primary care so that insured persons know what they should expect when accessing primary care within Ontario.

Objectives

3 The Government of Ontario shall have the following objectives in its design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario:

   1.  Province-wide: Insured persons across the Province should have the opportunity to have a documented and ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician or team.

   2.  Connected: Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that are co-ordinated with existing health and social services.

   3.  Convenient: Insured persons should have access to timely primary care services.

   4.  Inclusive: Insured persons should have the opportunity to receive primary care services that are free from barriers and free from discrimination prohibited by the Human Rights Code or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

   5.  Empowered: Insured persons should have the opportunity to access their personal health information through a digitally-integrated primary care system that connects insured persons to clinicians involved in their care.

   6.  Responsive: The primary care system should respond to the needs of the communities it serves, and insured persons should have access to information about how the system is performing and adapting.

Report by Minister

4 (1)  The Minister shall prepare an annual report describing how the Government of Ontario is working to achieve the objectives set out in section 3 in its design, implementation and maintenance of the publicly funded primary care system within Ontario.

Contents of report

(2)  The report shall include such information as the Minister considers appropriate and the following information:

   1.  The percentage of insured persons in Ontario who have an ongoing relationship with a primary care clinician or team.

   2.  Such other information as may be prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Report to be made public

(3)  The Minister shall make the first report available to the public no later than one year following the day this Act comes into force and each subsequent report no later than one year following the day the most recent report was published.

No establishment of private law right, duty

5 Nothing in this Act or any regulation made under this Act establishes a private law right or duty, including a private law duty of care or fiduciary duty, owing to any person.

Effect of failure to comply

6 Failure to comply with this Act or any regulation made under this Act does not affect the validity of any policy, Act, regulation, directive, instrument or decision.

Regulations

7 The Lieutenant Governor in Council may make regulations,

  (a)  defining or clarifying the meaning of any word or expression used in this Act that is not otherwise defined in this Act;

  (b)  setting out additional details regarding the objectives set out in section 3;

  (c)  prescribing information for the purpose of paragraph 2 of subsection 4 (2), which may include key performance indicators;

  (d)  governing the manner in which the report mentioned in section 4 is to be made available to the public.

Commencement

8 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

9 The short title of this Act is the Primary Care Act, 2025.