Black Health Equity and Accountability Act

Summary#

Bill 115 would require Ontario to recognize the right of Black residents to fair, culturally safe, and anti-racist health care. It sets up a province-wide framework with audits, targets, and enforcement. It also creates new oversight bodies, requires race-based health data to be collected and published, expands Black-led services, and improves access to mental health care for Black Ontarians.

• Annual racial equity audits for all publicly funded health institutions, with clear targets and penalties for not meeting them.
• New Black Health Equity Council and an independent Inspectorate with oversight and enforcement powers.
• Required race-based data collection and public reporting across hospitals and public health units.
• Black-led Patient Advocacy and Protection Units in hospitals, plus community wellness hubs.
• A workforce pipeline: tuition-free training for Black students in health fields, paid placements, and career supports.
• A mental health plan to train providers in racial trauma and cover culturally responsive services for Black Ontarians.
• A system to provide survivors of anti-Black racism in health care with access to justice, including possible compensation.

What it means for you#

• Black patients

  • Hospitals must have Black-led advocacy units to help you navigate care and your rights, in person and online. Mobile units will serve remote areas.
  • You should see better access to screening, vaccines, and health promotion, tracked and reported publicly.
  • Mental health care designed for racial trauma would be covered if funding is approved.

• All patients

  • Health institutions will be audited for equity each year. Results can affect their funding and leadership pay.
  • More public reporting on wait lists, emergency use, and access to primary care by race may highlight gaps and guide fixes.

• Families and caregivers

  • New community wellness hubs run by Black community health centres will offer clinical care, doulas (trained birth companions), peer and elder support, legal navigation help, food and wellness programs, and services for youth, single mothers, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, newcomers, and elders.

• Health workers and students

  • Hiring, promotions, and retention must include race equity standards. Protections against retaliation will be strengthened when reporting racism at work.
  • A new training and certification plan will teach providers about racial trauma and anti-Black racism.
  • Black students could access tuition-free training, paid placements, mentorship, and a talent database to support hiring, if funded.

• Hospitals and public health units

  • Must create and carry out Black health equity plans, collect race-based data in all care settings, and publish it.
  • Public health units must hire a Black Health Equity Officer and add racial equity to performance reviews.
  • Funding can be tied to equity outcomes, and the Inspectorate can investigate and impose funding consequences for non-compliance.

• Data and transparency

  • All health institutions will collect, store, and publish race-disaggregated data. Protocols for ethical use and data ownership will be developed with Black communities.

• Access to justice

  • The government must set up survivor-led processes for those harmed by anti-Black racism in health care, including public acknowledgement, systemic reforms, and possible financial compensation if funded.

Expenses#

Estimated annual cost: No publicly available information.

• The bill creates new bodies and roles (Council, Inspectorate, hospital advocacy units, public health equity officers) and requires annual audits, which would add operating costs.
• It also calls for tuition-free training, paid placements, wellness hubs, and full coverage of certain mental health services; these would increase spending if funded.
• Some parts only take effect if the Legislature approves funding: paid placements for students, pay/expenses for Council members, full coverage of culturally responsive mental health services, and financial compensation for survivors.

Proponents' View#

• Makes care safer and fairer by setting clear targets and tying them to real consequences.
• Uses data to spot gaps and fix them, not just talk about them.
• Improves trust and outcomes with Black-led advocacy units and community wellness hubs.
• Builds a more diverse health workforce, which can improve communication, access, and patient satisfaction.
• Expands access to mental health care that understands racial trauma, which supporters say is long overdue.
• Gives survivors of racism a path to justice and drives lasting system reforms.

Opponents' View#

• Could be costly, creating new agencies and programs without a clear price tag.
• Requires collecting and publishing race-based data, which may raise privacy concerns if not handled well.
• Adds reporting and compliance work for hospitals and public health units, which could strain staff and budgets.
• Linking funding and executive pay to equity outcomes may lead to unintended incentives or take focus from other urgent needs.
• Some may argue it treats groups differently, or duplicates equity efforts already underway.
• New oversight bodies with strong powers could create bureaucracy and potential conflicts with existing regulators.