Backgrounder - Budget 2013: Investments in a Sustainable Health Care System

Budget 2013 includes investments totalling $2.9 billion on targeted initiatives that
increase access to health services and treatments, provide greater long-term care and community support services, enhance support for seniors, and strengthen infrastructure.

Increased Access to Health Services and Treatments
Creating access for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to important medical treatments continues to be a priority for the Provincial Government. Budget 2013 provides:

• $138 million for the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program, which includes a further $5.1 million to allow for the funding of 12 new drug therapies, eight of which will assist in the treatment of various forms of cancer;
• Approximately $30 million for dialysis services to support the existing 14 dialysis sites, seven of which have been added since 2004;
• $4.4 million for new cancer drug therapies for the Cancer Care and Hematology Program at Eastern Health;
• $2.5 million for the Breast Cancer Screening Program, including over $500,000 to fund expansion to existing sites throughout the province which will allow women aged 40-49 who are referred by their primary health care provider to be part of the program;
• $2 million for the continuation of the Newfoundland and Labrador Colon Cancer Screening Program. In partnership with Eastern Health and Western Health, the screening program is being phased in over a three-year period, with the first phase implemented in western Newfoundland last year; and,
• • $2 million to address endoscopy wait times and wait lists.

The Provincial Government continues to move forward with changes to generic drug pricing, to further reduce the cost of generic drugs for residents to 25 per cent of brand by July 1, 2013. In addition to providing Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with access to lower cost prescription drugs, the Provincial Government is reinvesting some of those savings in Budget 2013 to enable access to new drug therapies to provincial drug program clients.

Enhanced Long-Term Care and Community Support Services
In addition to the $160 million spent annually on home care, the Provincial Government has invested over $550 million in new funding over the last eight years. To continue this high level of support for long-term care and support services Budget 2013 includes:

• • $72.7 million for the continuation of several long-term care infrastructure projects including facilities in Carbonear, St. John’s, Corner Brook, Clarenville, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and Bonavista;
• $9.2 million to address growth and the need for additional resources in the Home Support Program in 2013-14 as more individuals require and apply for support services in their homes;
• $6.1 million for the Paid Family Caregiving Option, annualizing to $8.2 million in 2014-15;
• $1.6 million for the continued implementation of a pilot project for Community Rapid Response Teams, which will expand to four sites from two this year, providing enhanced health services and home support to seniors in their homes reducing the need for admissions to a hospital;
• $1.5 million for the implementation of the Enhanced Care in Personal Care Homes Pilot Project which will allow residents to receive greater levels of care at personal care homes;
• $624,000 to add 100 new portable subsidies to the Personal Care Home Program, providing individuals with greater personal care home choices and bringing the total number of subsidies to 2,348;
• $372,300 to introduce 40 subsidized respite beds in personal care homes to allow for increased access to respite services in communities; and,
• $150,000 to enhance 30 palliative care comfort rooms in long-term care facilities and health care centres.

Enhancements for Seniors
Budget 2013 is furthering the goals of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework which aims to recognize older persons, celebrate diversity, support communities, encourage health and financial well-being, and support employment, education and research.

Through an investment of $3 million seniors will continue to receive a 35 per cent reduction on driver’s licence and vehicle registration fees. Vehicle registration fees are reduced from $140 to $91 for online and in-person processing and driver’s licence fees are reduced from $100 to $65.

Budget 2013 also provides continued funding for the following initiatives for seniors:

• $500,000 for the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Transportation Project which is designed to improve seniors’ access to affordable and accessible transportation;
• $285,500 for the continued implementation of the Adult Protection Act; and,
• A 35 per cent reduction on licences and fees for such things as hunting and fishing.

Enhancing Health Care Infrastructure
Budget 2013 includes a total investment of $226 million in capital infrastructure, with $165.8 million for continuing construction and redevelopment, $40.2 million for new equipment and $20 million for repairs and renovations.

Budget 2013 includes new and continued funding for these and other projects:

• $14.4 million for the continued construction of the Labrador West Health Centre;
  
• $12.5 million for the continuation of the PET scanner project at the Health Sciences Centre which, once complete, will see the consolidation of nuclear medicine services at one site and infrastructure for future expansion of the cancer care program;
• $11.5 million for the continued redevelopment of the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor;
• $8.4 million for the development of the new adult addictions centre in Harbour Grace;
• $7.8 million to start construction of a new electrical substation for the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s;
• $7.4 million for the continued construction of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Human Genetics;
• $7.2 million for the continued expansion of the Faculty of Medicine;
• $6.5 million for the continued construction of the treatment centre for youth with complex mental health needs in Paradise;
• $4.3 million for the Lewisporte Health Centre development;
• $4 million for the continued construction of the treatment centre for youth with addictions in Grand Falls-Windsor;
• $1 million for the continued development of a new health clinic in Marystown North;
• $700,000 to continue planning for the replacement of the Waterford Hospital in St. John’s with a new, specialized mental health facility;
• $200,000 for the Glovertown Health Clinic; and,
• $100,000 for the continued planning of the new Green Bay Health Centre.

Through Budget 2013, the Provincial Government continues its commitment to find efficiencies which will improve access to care for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Building on the recent and ongoing operational improvement initiatives taking place at the regional health authorities, a clinical efficiency and management review will also be undertaken to highlight further efficiencies within the health care system. The goal of this review process will be to increase the value the Provincial Government gets for health care investments while ensuring a sustainable, accessible health care system into the future.

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Media contact:
Scott Barfoot
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 690-6290
scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca 

2013 03 26                             3:20 p.m.