Doctor operating safer supply clinics billed OHIP $2.5M last year
Dr. Suman Koka, a doctor running a network of addiction clinics across Ontario, has been making headlines for billing public insurance approximately $2.5 million per year. He is the sole officer and director of Northwood Recovery, which has multiple locations in North York, Hamilton, Manitoulin Island, Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, and Ottawa.
The Ottawa location, which initially opened in Hintonburg before moving to Chinatown, offers safer opioid supply to patients. However, neighbors in both neighborhoods have raised concerns about Koka prescribing opioid medications to fentanyl users. They claim that patients are trading prescription drugs on the street for harder substances, leading to an increase in crime and attracting dealers to the area.
City councillors representing Hintonburg and Chinatown have called on Northwood Recovery to change its operations or consider shutting down. Despite the criticism, Koka has confirmed that the clinic follows a harm reduction approach by offering safer supply to help users replace street drugs like fentanyl with prescription narcotics such as hydromorphone (Dilaudid).
CBC submitted a freedom of information request to the Ontario Ministry of Health to obtain records of Koka’s total billing to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). The documents revealed that he billed over $2.3 million in 2023 and nearly $2.5 million in 2024. These figures exceed the average billing for Ontario physicians, with the top 20 percent billing an average of $568,432.
Koka’s billing for telemedicine services, including video and telephone consultations, amounted to $524,302 in 2024. Despite the high billing amounts, it is important to note that these figures do not represent Koka’s profit as some of the money goes towards covering clinic overhead costs.
Koka’s high billing numbers have raised questions about the volume of patients he sees to generate such revenue. His reliance on virtual care services allows for quick turnover of patients, but concerns have been raised about the quality of care provided through telemedicine.
In 2019, the College of Physicians and Surgeons cautioned Koka after a patient complained that he did not meet with them in person for a consultation. Instead, a physician assistant at his office prescribed methadone following a virtual appointment, highlighting the need for proper training and oversight in delegating care.
Despite the criticisms and scrutiny, Koka remains committed to providing addiction treatment through Northwood Recovery. He has implemented stricter security protocols, including hiring a security guard and nurse, and removing patients from the program if they are found to be diverting their medications.
In a meeting with Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster and area MPP Catherine McKenney, Koka emphasized the clinic’s zero-tolerance policy for drug diversion. Patients suspected of trading or selling their medications are closely monitored, with some required to take doses on-site to prevent diversion.
Koka believes that telemedicine has expanded access to addiction treatment, allowing more individuals to receive the care they need. He remains dedicated to providing quality care to his patients, whether through virtual consultations or in-person visits.
Overall, Dr. Suman Koka’s work with Northwood Recovery highlights the challenges and opportunities in providing addiction treatment in Ontario. His innovative approach to harm reduction and commitment to patient care continue to shape the landscape of addiction treatment in the province.
