Annual OHIP statements are one of the new measures announced by Clement in an ongoing battle against health fraud. The announcement comes as Clement brings closure to the case of Amherst Island farmer Ian Murray. Murray's file was padded with false bills for mental illness, alcoholism and brain tumours. In most cases, people won't read the bills or remember what treatments they received, he said. Few people would report a fraudulent billing by their family doctor even if it could be proven, Guyatt suggested.
People rely on their doctor.
Murray can't imagine any doctor opposing annual statements. It should never not have been done. While preventing fraud may be the impetus, an annual bill will also reduce the chance of human error. Without an annual statement, you wouldn't even know that incorrect information was there. How billing will be handled technically and when it will start are details that have not been worked out, said Gord Haugh, a spokesman for Clement.