TORONTO – The first details are emerging about the intentions of the federal government in view of the summit between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the provincial premiers who have been asking for more funds for health care for months. 

A week before the meeting – scheduled for February 7 – the federal health minister, Jean-Yves Duclos, anticipated that the federal government “will work flexibly” with the provinces on the terms of a possible financing agreement of health care. Essentially, any new funding will be tied to achieving “better outcomes for patients and workers” Duclos said.

Furthermore, “there will not be a single approach for all provinces”.

“We will work flexibly with provinces and territories – he specified during an interview with CTV – because they are not all in the same situation. There are some provinces where access to family doctors is almost 90%, while in others provinces is less than 80%: we must work with the provinces and territories to address this problem”.

Provincial premiers have long been asking the federal government to increase funds through Canada Health Transfer, bringing them from 22% to 35%: about 28 billion dollars more a year.

In reality, only a few days ago, the federal government declared that it was willing to send more money to the provinces, but under certain conditions and according to a series of parameters to be met, including: reduction of arrears in surgical interventions and diagnostics; investing in mental health; modernize the system so that medical records can be shared electronically.

Minister Duclos did not specify whether any funding agreements would come with pre-established deadlines within which the provinces would have to deliver results, but he nevertheless acknowledged that “health care for Canadians belongs to the provinces who are responsible for the effective delivery of health care to its citizens and this – he concluded – is a difficult job”.

In the pic above: Federal Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, in a photo posted on his Twitter page – @jyduclos