The federal government is warning provinces against private health clinics and could claw back federal health care transfers from provinces that allow clinics to charge patients directly for virtual care.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa is dedicated to a public universal system that abides by the Canada Health Act.

The Prime Minister, who is in the Clarenville area today told Your VOCM Mornings the health care system must be reliable and effective.

He says the focus is on access to primary health physicians, better mental health services, better support for front-line workers, modernizing the health care system, and making sure data is being compared properly across the country.

Dr. Todd Young, who has a virtual clinic based in central Newfoundland, has been seeking an increase in the cap on the number of patients he can see virtually in a day. He says the issue is accessibility.

“The role of provinces is not to put up barriers to publicly-funded care,” and virtual care is the only thing that has a cap, says Young.