NLIS 2
April 3, 2000
(Health and Community Services)

On Thursday and Friday of last week, provincial and territorial Ministers of Health met in Markham, Ontario with federal Health Minister Alan Rock to discuss the state of health care in Canada.

It was an important opportunity to ensure the minister understands the serious concerns we all have over the federal government�s current level of funding in the health care system.

As provinces and territories, we unanimously agreed that:

• at a minimum, federal funding for health must be reinstated to 1994/95 levels. We also told the minister that, in addition to this, future federal transfers for health must include an escalator which ensures that transfers keep pace with inflation and growing costs;

• the federal government should reaffirm its fiscal support for medicare and the Canada Health Act; and

• as provinces and territories we are and have always been willing to consider any proposal at any time to ensure sustainability of the publicly funded Canadian health care system.

I was encouraged by Minister Rock�s response when he clearly stated his willingness to work with us in enhancing and improving our medicare system. The minister said and I quote "the federal government�s commitment to the Canada Health Act and public medicare is profound, consistent, and unconditional."

The federal government understands that all provinces are making substantial financial commitments to health care, and they are also working hard to adapt our health care system to ensure it meets current needs and concerns. In our province we have increased health funding by 25 per cent since 1994-95, even in the face of considerable reductions in federal transfer payments over the same period. We have also placed a high priority on encouraging innovation and adaptability in our province�s health care system.

The minister agrees that more sustainable funding is required to renew and restore medicare and to provide access to quality care in Canada. He has expressed a desire to work with us in developing a better system of delivery for health care across the full spectrum; areas such as primary care, home care, and pharmacare, just to name a few.

The minister has assured us that he will impress upon his federal colleagues the need for sustainable long-term funding to preserve and enhance our medicare system. He also continues to suggest that the provincial work in reform of the health care system must continue at an accelerated pace in order to ensure the system is sustainable for the future.

While provincial ministers agree with Minister Rock, they unanimously agreed that the restoration of the CHST is essential to stabilizing the current system. Clearly, our existing health care system must be stabilized so that our commitment to innovation and adaptability can be effectively pursued.

2000 04 03                                                     1:50 p.m.