ontario regulation 351/25

made under the

Health Insurance Act

Made: December 11, 2025
Filed: December 15, 2025
Published on e-Laws: December 16, 2025
Published in The Ontario Gazette: January 3, 2026

Amending Reg. 552 of R.R.O. 1990

(GENERAL)

1. (1) Subsection 1 (1) of Regulation 552 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 is amended by adding the following definition:

“optometrist” means,

(a)  a person who is entitled to practise optometry in the place where optometry services are rendered by the person, or

(b)  subject to subsection (4), a person who is exempted from subsections 9 (1) and (2) of the Optometry Act, 1991 by a regulation made under that Act;

(2) The definitions of “dental surgeon”, “midwife” and “registered nurse in the extended class” in subsection 1 (1) of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

“dental surgeon” means,

(a)  a person who is entitled to practise dentistry in the place where dental services are rendered by the person, or

(b)  subject to subsection (4), a person who is exempted from subsections 9 (1) and (2) of the Dentistry Act, 1991 by a regulation made under that Act;

“midwife” means a member of the College of Midwives of Ontario or a person who is exempted from subsections 8 (1) and (2) of the Midwifery Act, 1991 by a regulation made under that Act;

“registered nurse in the extended class” means a member of the College of Nurses of Ontario who is a registered nurse and who holds an extended certificate of registration under the Nursing Act, 1991 or a person who is exempted from subsections 11 (1) and (5) of the Nursing Act, 1991 by a regulation made under that Act and who holds the equivalent of a certificate of registration in the extended class for registered nurses in Ontario;

(3) Clause (a) of the definition of “oral and maxillofacial surgeon” in subsection 1 (1) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(a)  with respect to dental services rendered in Ontario, a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario who holds a specialty certificate of registration authorizing the practice of the specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery or a person exempted from subsections 9 (1) and (2) of the Dentistry Act, 1991 by a regulation made under that Act and who holds the equivalent of a certificate of registration in the specialty class of dentistry which authorizes the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery in Ontario,

(4) Subsection 1 (3) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted:

(3) A person who is exempted from subsections 9 (1) and (3) of the Medicine Act, 1991 by a regulation made under that Act and who holds the equivalent of a certificate of registration authorizing independent practice in Ontario is a prescribed person for the purposes of the definition of “physician” in section 1 of the Act, except with respect to the application of sections 27, 28.2 and 29 of this Regulation.

(4) For the purposes of the application of sections 27, 28.2 and 29, the definitions of “dental surgeon” and “optometrist” in subsection (1) of this section do not include a person described in clause (b) of each of those definitions.

2. Subparagraphs 14 ii and iii of subsection 38.4 (1) of the Regulation are revoked and the following substituted:

ii.  in the schedule of dental benefits, as defined in subsection 16 (8), if the service was rendered by a dental surgeon,

iii.  in the schedule of optometry benefits, if the service was rendered by an optometrist, and

Commencement

3. This Regulation comes into force on the later of January 1, 2026 and the day this Regulation is filed.