Are you at risk of being upsold at private surgery clinics?

Plus, safety on the TTC and the charisma of Marit Stiles [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the move to private surgery clinics, safety on the TTC and the Ontario NDP’s new leader. DON’T MISS Richard Lautens/The Star health care [When it comes to cataract surgery, is there more to Ontario’s private clinics than meets the eye?]( Under Premier Doug Ford’s controversial plan, more surgeries are being moved out of hospitals and into private clinics to clear a pandemic backlog, starting with cataract surgery. But there are concerns that clinics will “upsell” medical services not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). In 2021, the auditor general’s annual report said cataract patients are the most prone to “misleading sales practices” in some circumstances, Rob Ferguson reports. [Here’s what we know about the practices and the push for consumer protection](. - Context: Patients have to pay out of pocket for the additional cost of an artificial lens that does more than the type covered by OHIP. - More: The auditor general found complaints to the Health Ministry and patient ombudsman were filed by patients “being charged after receiving a publicly funded cataract surgery because they were misinformed of their right to receive standard surgery, free of charge through OHIP, without any add-ons.” - Word from a private clinic: “It’s not our goal when we have patients coming in to ‘upsell’ them ... We’re simply giving them the information they need,” said the co-owner of the Windsor Surgical Centre. Lance McMillan/The Star housing [Those sheltering in the transit system are worried about their safety amid the recent spate of TTC violence]( Recent stabbings, assaults and robberies occurring on the city’s transit system have prompted some to call on officials to address what they suggest are the major issues behind the violence: a mental health crisis and homelessness on transit. But people struggling to find a shelter bed, who are turning to subway stations, buses and streetcars for warmth, are also afraid for their safety, Victoria Gibson and Lex Harvey report. They say, however, they have nowhere else to go. [Take a closer look at the experience of one man who fell through the cracks](. - Go deeper: With no public data to support the idea that homeless people or people with serious mental illness are behind recent violence, advocates and health workers have warned against oversimplifying or blaming one population. - By the numbers: As of December, Toronto’s shelter intake team turned away an average of more than 100 callers each day looking for beds, city data shows. - ICYMI: Clearing an encampment in Kitchener would violate Charter rights, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled. [Here’s why advocates say the decision will set a precedent for Toronto](. Canadian Press/Chris Young provincial politics [Why NDP supporters think Marit Stiles can take down Doug Ford]( Stiles became the leader of the Ontario NDP — the Official Opposition — on Saturday, paving the way for her potentially becoming Ontario’s next premier in 2026. But to get there, she’ll have to widen the appeal of a party that lost ground under former leader Andrea Horwath, Kristin Rushowy reports. Through interviews with Stiles and those who have gotten to know her over the years, [here’s what we learned about the journey that took Stiles from a Newfoundland farm to the top of the provincial NDP](. - More: A veteran Queen’s Park observer said that because Stiles was the lone candidate, “there was no debate, there was no discussion of any ideas. It’s going to be tough for the party to go outside of what they already have, and how they are structured.’” - Another angle: “She’s a natural — you get the thrill of her right away,” said the former president of performers’ union ACTRA, Ferne Downey, who worked with Stiles and later canvassed for her. “People have a phenomenally positive reaction to her. She’s smart, she’s positive, she has a great sense of humour.” WHAT ELSE How much of your money did councillors spend on their last election campaign? [Good luck finding out](. Your phone camera might be wreaking havoc with your memory. [Here’s how to combat “digital amnesia.”]( Why are some descendants of an ethnic minority in Greece still [keeping their identity secret?]( Beyoncé is now the most-decorated artist — [and what else you need to know about the Grammys](. Greedy landlords make moving within Toronto too expensive. [Check out these numbers](. [A 25-year-old was the victim of a hit-and-run in the east end]( police say. Yes, your auto insurance company can drop you. [Here’s how to protect yourself against worst-case scenarios](. [Meet Bobi from Portugal]( the world’s oldest living dog according to Guinness World Records. Vinyl records pressed with bodily fluids and CDs packaged with human hair — [what makes a Toronto doctor collect these things?]( Should you use money from your TFSA to contribute to your RRSP? [It depends](. ICYMI Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star Photo Illustration [Jamie Salé was Canada’s sweetheart on ice. Now the Olympian is championing something darker.]( CLOSE-UP Odelyn Joseph/AP Photo HAITI: Rose Felicien, who is known as Tiwoz, prepares ingredients to make soup joumou at a restaurant in the Delmas district of Port-au-Prince on Sunday. [Here’s why, in a moment of deepening crisis, this soup is one of the few points of enduring national pride](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_165524). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. 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