People paying privately for tummy tucks and face lifts are getting preferential treatment over critical patients when it comes to surgery in prime daytime operating hours, a plastic surgeon in Windsor says.

Dr. David Sion also said Windsor health officials aren't charging enough for surgeries such as face lifts and breast implants, leaving Canadian taxpayers subsidizing those procedures for privately funded patients, including Americans.

"What's happening here is, cosmetic surgery patients are getting a free ride," Sion told CBC Radio's The Current.

Dr. David Sion
Dr. David Sion

It costs $625 to perform a four-hour face lift at Windsor's hospitals, compared to more than $1,200 at comparable hospitals in Halifax and Winnipeg.

The pricing of plastic surgeries is a judgment call, said Cameron Dickie, chief financial officer for both of Windsor's hospitals.

Cameron Dickie
Cameron Dickie

He said Windsor's rates are in step with those charged at other hospitals in southwestern Ontario.

"I guess at this point, we're feeling that we're making enough, sufficient recovery to take care of our out-of-pocket costs," said Dickie.

At the moment, Sion said, some plastic surgeons begin doing emergency and reconstructive procedures only at 5 p.m., when costs increase because of union agreements and other factors. That higher cost is then passed on to taxpayers, since the procedures are covered by medicare.

Those operations include reconstructive surgeries for breast cancer patients and accident victims.

"Are we operating at night more than we need to be because we're doing cosmetic surgery during the daytime?" asked Sion. "Can that be fixed? And I think it can."

Sion suggests the city's hospitals look at charging fairer prices for operating room time and reserving prime daytime spots for plastic surgeries funded by the province's health insurance plan. He believes dental and cosmetic procedures should be saved for the weekends and other off-peak times.