NLIS 17
March 21, 2005
(Health and Community Services)
Government continues to improve
patient care
The Williams government will transform the face
of health care and deliver continued improvement in patient care with an
infusion of $33.5 million in Budget 2005, announced Health and Community
Services Minister John Ottenheimer today.
"We are moving on the immediate priorities of greater access to services,
reducing wait times and enhancing medical transportation benefits, and building
the foundation for meaningful long-term change in our health system," stated
Minister Ottenheimer.
Budget 2005 unveils funding for a new community-based home care program, along
with enhanced transportation benefits for Labrador residents and financial
support for the new health authorities to stabilize existing services.
Home Care
In an effort to ease the pressure on our hospitals, government will dedicate $2
million to expand a provincial post-acute home care program and an end-of-life
care program, starting in the Western region which builds on the current pilot
project.
The acute home care program will further assist patients recovering from
surgery, other medical interventions or requiring wound management for a
two-week duration. Specialized home care services including wound management and
related drug therapies, as well as personal care will be provided at home,
allowing hospitals to send patients home quicker and target their acute care
resources to those who need it most.
End-of-life care will also be offered, starting in the Western region, to give
terminally ill clients the choice of spending their final days within their own
homes. This alleviates the pressures and burdens placed on family caregivers and
allow clients and their families to achieve the best possible quality of life in
time of need.
"People who are able to receive the care they need in the community can now stay
out of hospitals, reducing the stress on these institutions," said Minister
Ottenheimer. "Hospitals are then better equipped to provide the acute care
services they are so good at providing."
Medical Transportation Assistance for Labrador
Furthering a key goal of the first ministers� agreement, government will invest
$567,000 to help Labradorians overcome the barrier of affordability when
accessing the health services they need outside their communities and region.
Building on government�s Blueprint commitment to provide more equitable access
to health services, government will introduce two improvements to medical
transportation assistance benefits for Labradorians:
- Province pays the first $500 of travel
expenses per resident annually on eligible medical travel claims. All
remaining reimbursable expenses are cost-shared 50-50, benefiting
approximately 500 residents; and
- As recently announced, the introduction of a
$40 round trip fee for Labrador West residents travelling to Happy-Valley
Goose Bay for CT Scans and laparoscopies, benefiting approximately 220
residents.
An existing provincial Medical Transportation
Assistance Program currently provides assistance to patients who travel via
commercial air to access insured services outside the boundaries of their
regional health authorities. Funding is based on a $500 deductible, which is
applicable once in a 12 month period, with the balance of eligible expenses
cost-shared at 50 per cent.
Building a Sustainable System
While the new 2004 FMM Health Accord funding allows for investments in priority
areas, it does not address all of the competing demands for health care funding.
Good fiscal health in each of our new health authorities is needed to ensure
residents can access vital services now and into the future. During this
transition year, government will allocate $20 million in one-time stabilization
funding to regional health authorities to assist them in balancing their budgets
in the year ahead.
Recognizing that health expenditures grow faster than normal inflation,
government will also provide $11 million to address inflationary costs and
utilization including medical and surgical supplies, drugs and utilities.
In September 2004, Premier Danny Williams, joined his colleagues in signing a
first ministers� agreement on health care, delivering a plan to strengthen
health care over the next 10 years. Newfoundland and Labrador will receive an
additional $284 million over six years to support the provincial delivery of
health care services. Under the agreement, first ministers identified a number
of priorities including access to services, wait time reduction, home care,
wellness and health technology.
Media contact: Carolyn Chaplin, Communications, (709) 729-1377, 682-5093
2005 03 21
3:05 p.m. |