Canada’s premiers have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for a review process to be established as part of the health care funding talks.
Ottawa has offered more than $46 billion to provinces and territories to boost the Canada Health Transfer, but the country’s premiers say it’s not enough to meet the sustainability or structural needs of their provincial health systems. .
The premiers say in a letter sent Thursday that they are ready to accept the offer for the time being, but that further discussions are needed to establish longer-term predictability and stability in health care.
They want a formal federal-provincial-territorial review process to look at the bilateral funding agreements the provinces reached with Ottawa in 2017 to improve mental health and home care programs.
They want a similar process to review the new deal, which will include both an increase in the Canada Health Transfer and specific funding for priority areas like family doctors, surgical wait lists and systems. health data.
“Further constructive discussions are needed to achieve our common goals and to provide the longer-term predictability and stability that Canadians expect when it comes to their health care systems,” they write in the letter.
“We believe it is important to continue these necessary discussions to ensure the future of health care services across the country. »
Ontario Premier Doug Ford sent a separate letter requesting the same reviews, but noting that the review of the 2017 bilateral agreements should take place by March 31, 2026 and that the broader review should take place around the five-year mark of the Canada Health Transfer Agreement.
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