Bill 80, Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee Act, 2025

Summary#

This bill would create a provincial advisory committee on gender‑affirming health care in Ontario. Its main goal is to recommend ways to improve access to care and what the public plan should cover. The Minister of Health must set up the committee within 60 days, receive its report within six months, and then tell the Legislature which steps the government should take.

• Creates a Gender Affirming Health Care Advisory Committee, appointed by the Minister of Health.
• Requires the committee to be mostly people who are transgender, two‑spirit, non‑binary, intersex, or gender diverse, with members from diverse backgrounds (youth, seniors, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, rural residents, etc.).
• Tasks the committee with advising on access, wait times, and insurance coverage, including procedures not currently covered (such as facial feminization surgery, chest contouring, and electrolysis).
• Calls for review of using an “informed consent” model (care based on a patient’s understanding and consent, with fewer referral letters).
• Requires consultation with primary care teams and groups like Rainbow Health Ontario, WPATH and CPATH (professional groups that set care standards), and CAMH (a major mental health centre).
• Sets timelines: committee formed within 60 days, report due within 6 months, Minister to respond to the Legislature within 90 days after the report.

What it means for you#

• Trans, two‑spirit, non‑binary, intersex, and gender diverse people

  • A formal process would gather your community’s input and lived experience.
  • No immediate change to services, but the committee could lead to shorter waits, easier referrals, and more covered procedures in the future.
  • The bill highlights equity, including for youth, seniors, Indigenous people, racialized people, people with disabilities, rural residents, and those with past homelessness or sex work experience.

• Families and caregivers

  • You may see clearer guidance and pathways to care if recommendations are adopted.
  • Potential for fewer referral steps and faster access, but only after future government action.

• Health care providers

  • You may be asked to share input on gaps, wait times, and training needs.
  • Future changes could shift toward an informed‑consent model and reduce referral letters.

• All Ontario patients and residents

  • Public coverage (OHIP) could expand to include more gender‑affirming procedures, but this would require future government decisions.
  • Any changes would come after the committee reports and the government decides what to implement.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Creates a clear plan to cut wait times and fix access gaps across the province.
• Centers people with lived experience, leading to practical and respectful recommendations.
• Could expand OHIP coverage to medically needed procedures that are not covered today, lowering out‑of‑pocket costs.
• An informed‑consent approach can reduce unnecessary barriers and travel for care, especially for rural and remote patients.
• Uses broad consultation with frontline providers and expert bodies to align with best practices.
• A relatively low‑cost way to guide future policy before making large spending commitments.

Opponents' View#

• Committee makeup may lean toward expansion of services and coverage, which some see as unbalanced.
• Expanding publicly covered procedures could raise health care costs for the province.
• Moving toward informed consent and fewer referrals may feel too quick to some, who want more clinical checks before treatment.
• Calling procedures “lifesaving” could be seen as a policy choice that should be debated more widely.
• Timelines may be too tight for a complex topic, risking rushed or incomplete recommendations.
• May duplicate work already done by professional groups and clinics, adding bureaucracy without guarantees of change.