Health and Community Services
October 17, 2016
Provincial and Territorial Health Ministers
Focus on Strengthening Health Care for All Canadians
During a meeting today in Toronto, Ontario, the provincial and
territorial health ministers discussed several key areas of work including
mental health services, Indigenous health care, improving the affordability
and accessibility of pharmaceutical drugs, and exploring how to use health
care innovation to make accessing health care easier for all Canadians.
Provincial and territorial health ministers were joined by their
provincial and territorial finance ministers for a discussion on the
long-term financial sustainability of health care for all Canadians.
"Provincial and territorial ministers are united in their commitment to
strengthen health care for Canadians in the face of emerging challenges,"
said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, who
chaired the meeting. "As we approach the 50th anniversary of Medicare and
renew our commitment to publicly funded health care, we must ensure that we
are making all the efforts needed to address evolving issues, including
access to mental health services."
Provincial and Territorial
Health and Finance Ministers' Discussion
Provincial and territorial
governments are responsible for the health care systems in Canada and for
providing health care to Canadians. It is the single largest component of
every provincial and territorial budget representing upwards of 40 per cent
of their respective annual expenditures. When Medicare started it was an
equal funding partnership. Provinces currently fund nearly 80 per cent of
government expenditures on health care; in territories up to 90 per cent.
Provinces and territories also count on transfers from the Federal
Government to help meet the current and growing health needs of Canadians.
The Canada Health Transfer provides long-term stable and predictable
funding and is an essential mechanism for ensuring the sustainability of
provincial and territorial health systems. The federal reduction in the CHT
escalator would result in the loss of $60 billion over 10 years. A stable
financial base is the foundation for ensuring essential health care services
for all Canadians. This will take into consideration health care system
challenges, such as changing demographics and incidence of chronic disease.
Indigenous Health
Ministers renewed their commitment to work
together in partnership with Indigenous leaders in their respective
jurisdictions to enhance the coordination, continuity and appropriateness of
health care services for Indigenous peoples.
Ministers recognize the
enormous health challenges faced by many Indigenous people and communities
throughout Canada. They shared information about work underway with
Indigenous organizations in their respective jurisdictions to address key
regional priorities and improve health outcomes.
Provincial and
territorial ministers noted that it remains important for the Federal
Government to fully assume its role and responsibilities for Indigenous
health.
Pharmaceuticals
For over six years, the provinces
and territories have been pioneering work to improve the affordability,
accessibility and appropriate use of prescription drugs. This includes work
on brand name drugs, generic drugs, and special categories of drugs that
bring forward particularly complex and difficult challenges. This work was
initiated through the Health Care Innovation Working Group.
Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to work together - and with the
Federal Government, which joined the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
(pCPA) last year - to address difficult decisions, including the need to
have a more consistent assessment of drug coverage and fair pricing
strategies.
Ministers discussed the advantages gained through the
pCPA, which has resulted in more than $712 million in combined savings
annually. A further reduction in the price of six high volume generic drugs
through the Generics Bridging Strategy starting April 1, 2017 is expected to
save governments an additional $75 million next fiscal year.
Ontario
offered to continue progress with the Working Group focused on improving
access, affordability, and appropriateness for essential drugs for all
children, reporting back to provinces and territories at their next meeting.
Québec is committed to working with provinces and territories to
address the challenges of the rising cost of medications, but coverage
decision remains its sole responsibility.
Health Care Innovation
Working Group
The mandate of the Health Care Innovation Working Group
(HCIWG), created in 2012, was renewed by Canada's premiers this past summer.
Today, ministers discussed its new mandate which focuses on using technology
and innovation to improve affordability, predictability and patient care.
Mental Health and Addictions
The health ministers reaffirmed the
importance of improving care for young people who outgrow child and youth
mental health and addiction services as they move into adult systems.
Ministers committed to further collaborative work to foster innovative,
integrated mental health and substance use services for youth and young
adults.
The ministers also discussed the need to explore
opportunities to further develop services for people living with mental
illness and addiction.
Federal, Provincial and Territorial Meeting
The provincial and territorial health ministers look forward to productive
discussions tomorrow with federal health minister Jane Philpott.
Following the meeting, Alberta's Minister of Health, Sarah Hoffman, will
assume the role of chair of the provincial and territorial health ministers
meeting and co-chair of the federal, provincial and territorial health
ministers meeting.
-30-
Media contacts:
| Shae
Greenfield Minister's Office Ontario 416-325-5230 |
David Jensen
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Ontario 416-314-6197 |
| Tina Williams Director of Communications Department of Health and Community Services 709-729-1377, 728-2837 tinawilliams@gov.nl.ca |