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Provinces, Ottawa spar over health transfers; Ontario warns cuts will lead to 'declinin... - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|242663|tost|20161019|258655577

accord

shared by healthcare88 on 19 Oct 16 - No Cached
  • Toronto Star Wed Oct 19 2016
  • Provincial and territorial health ministers are imploring Ottawa not to diminish its role as a funding partner in health care any further. Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins, who co-chaired a meeting of his counterparts from across the country on Tuesday, said funding from Ottawa will be "inadequate" if the federal government proceeds with its plans to cut the annual increase in health transfers next year.
  • "(It) will result in a declining partnership," he told a news conference at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto. "What we are asking as provinces and territories is that the federal government ... not withdraw further, that we want them to sustain the level of partnership that traditionally has been there," he said. Canadians have seen that partnership "very seriously erode" since medicare was created about a half century ago when the federal government footed half the bill, Hoskins said. Today, Ottawa is paying only 20 per cent of the tab, a share that will decrease further if Ottawa next year cuts the annual increase in the Canada Health Transfer to 3 per cent from 6 per cent.
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  • Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, who co-chaired Tuesday's talks, tried to steer the conversation away from money and toward system improvement, innovation and accountability. She repeatedly pointed out that Canada spends more on health care than many other developed countries that have superior health systems. She expressed disappointment that planned system improvements that Ottawa funded in the 2004 health accord did not materialize. Philpott indicated that she wants new funds to be targeted to such areas as mental health and system innovation. She also reiterated an earlier commitment to provide $3 billion for home care, including palliative care.
  • I have made it clear to them that we would love, for instance, to invest in innovation," she said. "I want to know how they want to use those investments in innovation. I have told them that I am very interested in mental-health care." Hoskins said his provincial and federal counterparts are on board with that, but that they need a boost in the annual increase in health funding as well just to maintain the status quo. "You can transform and we have to transform, but you have to do that in a way which respects and understands that you need to sustain the existing system," he said. Hoskins cited a Conference Board of Canada report that found that a spending increase of 4.4 per cent is needed "just to keep the lights on, just to keep the existing services working" because of pressures from a growing and aging population. Quebec Health Minister Gaétan Barrette said Ottawa's current plans for health spending will amount to $60 billion less over the next decade for the provinces and territories.
  • "It says to Canadians, 'We will not provide up to the level of $60 billion.' That's what's at stake," he said. The 2004 health accord - which includes annual funding hikes of 6 per cent - expires next spring. The former Conservative government decided unilaterally that annual health spending will increase at a lower rate of 3 per cent after that. The provincial and territorial ministers are hoping Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will reconsider that when the first ministers meet later this year. Hoskins said a 50-per-cent cut in the annual funding increase will translate to $1 billion less for the provinces and territories next year. Ontario alone stands to lose $400 million. Philpott apologized about confusion over comments she made earlier on accountability for funds. Some provincial and territorial ministers expressed anger over an insinuation that health transfers were not being spent on health. Philpott said that was not what she meant.
  • I apologize if people misunderstood," she said. "There is certainly no intention to make accusations." Philpott said the Canada Health Transfer, which stands at $36 billion, will increase by about $19 billion over the next five years. "It's really important for Canadians to know that we are going to continue to contribute to the Canada Heath Transfer," the federal minister said. Philpott said that over the last five years, $9 of every new $10 spent on health in Canada came from the Canada Health Transfer. "We are contributing he largest part to spending." In addition to the Canada Health Transfer, extra funds will be provided for targeted priorities with strings attached to ensure transformation goals are met, she said.
  • This is Canadians' money ... We want to find a way that we can work together so that as we agree to make new investments, that we have already got a sense of plan," Philpott said. In elaborating on why Ottawa should fund new, more efficient ways of providing health care while at the same time provide sufficient funding for the current health system, Hoskins offered the example of dialysis for kidney failure. The ministers discussed how it would make more sense to monitor blood pressure to prevent kidney failure and thereby lessen the need for dialysis, he noted. "That's great and we are all working toward that end, but you still have to provide dialysis today because that individual who needs it will be dead in three weeks without it," Hoskins said.
healthcare88

Funds would come with conditions: feds - Infomart - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|242663|wifp|20161019|258654570

accord

shared by healthcare88 on 19 Oct 16 - No Cached
  • Winnipeg Free Press Wed Oct 19 2016
  • OTTAWA - Provinces may get additional money for health care but only for specific initiatives such as home care or mental health, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott signalled at the end of a meeting with her provincial counterparts in Toronto. The tensions from the meeting spilled into the post-event news conference, as provincial ministers talked about federal cuts to health care and Philpott fought back, saying provinces never delivered promised health-care innovations when the 10-year health accord was signed in September 2004. That accord guaranteed six per cent annual increases in health care for a decade, and that formula was extended for two more years. The provinces argue Ottawa's plan to cut the annual increase in health transfers to the provinces from six per cent to three per cent will result in $60 billion less in federal cash going to the provinces over the next 10 years. They call that a "cut" to health care. "We are being asked to do more with less," said Quebec Health Minister Gaétan Barrette.
  • "All provinces and territories will have to make difficult choices." Philpott disagreed with his assessment. "There will be no cuts," she said. "There will be increases." Canada transferred $36.1 billion to the provinces for health care this year. A six per cent increase next year would be $2.2 billion more. The previous Conservative federal government announced intentions to reduce the increase in health transfers to three per cent, and the Liberals have taken up that plan. Additional funds will be available for health care but in targeted ways, such as for home care or mental health. During the election, the Liberals promised to spend $3 billion on home care over four years, money that has yet to materialize. "Canadians want to see their health-care system get better," said Philpott. Developing a new multi-year health accord with the provinces was the first task assigned to Philpott in her mandate letter in November 2015. Philpott said when the previous accord was signed, it put a lot of money on the table and it was negotiated in good faith by all parties involved that "there would be the changes that needed to take place."
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  • Those changes included cutting wait times, improving home care, electronic records and telehealth, better access to care in the North, a national pharmaceuticals strategy, improvements in prevention in public health and accountability and better reporting to Canadians. Philpott's assessment Tuesday was the provinces had intended to live up to their commitments but that it hadn't happened. "The transformation to the system didn't follow," she said. Philpott said Canadians want to be able to measure where new money is going, such as the number of hours of therapy delivered in a mental health program or the number of additional home care visits added. Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in a later conference call he agrees there needs to be more reform and innovation, particularly when it comes to accountability and meeting specific performance targets. "I would take exception that there hasn't been any innovation," he said. "Could there have been more? Sure."
  • Goertzen said Manitoba will be announcing more health-care targets shortly, with plans to better account for the dollars spent. He said additional funding for home care or mental health would be welcome but Ottawa needs to be a better partner on the day-to-day business of health-care delivery, and the three per cent increase isn't enough. The provinces have long complained Ottawa was to contribute half the cost of medicare but its contribution is now around one-fifth. They want the accord to move Ottawa to contributing 25 per cent. "We didn't get that commitment today," said Goertzen. The provinces want to discuss the health accord with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when they all meet in Ottawa in December. Trudeau called that meeting to discuss climate change and the new carbon price he is requiring all provinces to impose. Health care is not currently on the agenda. mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
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