Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the deductions from upcoming federal transfers are to punish provinces that allowed fees to be charged in 2020 and 2021 for services that are supposed to be included in public coverage. The bulk of the fees, $76 million of the total, were for medically necessary diagnostic imaging, such as MRIs. (The Logic)

Talking point: Duclos also said the provinces can expect a federal crackdown on out-of-pocket fees for services that bloomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as virtual visits with physicians. These are different from publicly funded services from private providers, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has described as an “innovation.” Ontario, for one, has slashed the fees it’s willing to pay virtual-only primary-care providers while allowing private surgical services to take up work from its backlogged public providers and be paid by public insurance. B.C., meanwhile, has cracked down on private care offered by a Telus division.