Look, there is an issue with double billing and it shouldn't occur.  But, there is a big issue being missed here by the Globe and Mail.

The question that needs to be asked is why are private services existing and thriving in some areas of medicine but not others?  For example, there is very little private oncology (there are some private infusion centers to provide non-provincially funded drugs, but they are rarely used) while many of the surgical specialties are thriving.  The issue is access.  In Ontario, cancer patients are to be seen at the Cancer Center in 2 weeks, so there is no need for private services because there is excellent access.  In contrast, the government has severely limited surgery's ability to operate compared to the patient workload that is needed.  If the government provided appropriate OR time, these private clinics wouldn't exist.  This is reflective of government shortcomings in terms of priorities and planning, and the focus needs to be on this.