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OTTAWA – Physicians call on the federal government to spend an additional $ 21 billion over the next decade to help the provinces and territories pay for the high costs of health care due to the inevitable growth of the aging population from Canada.
A new badysis, to be released Tuesday by the Canadian Medical Association, urges Ottawa to provide ever-increasing annual supplements to the current federal health care transfer program.
Pressure on Provinces and Territories Health costs rise by an additional $ 93 billion over the next 10 years – about 1.8% of government spending – due to an aging population , warns the study. The document was prepared on behalf of the CMA by the Conference Board of Canada.
"Our health care system was designed at a time when the median age in Canada was 27 years old. Today, he is 40 years old and our system is not working well. "Laurent Marcoux, President of the CMA, said in a statement
" Canadians and physicians are right to worry about the demands that will be placed on the health care system in the future. "
Annual meeting of the Council of the Federation of Premiers, which begins Wednesday in St. Andrews, NB
Health care spending, which is an important part provincial budgets, should be an important topic during the meeting, and the CMA urges Premiers to lobby Ottawa for more funding to meet the needs of seniors. It is also expected that issues affecting seniors are receiving much attention at the federal level
The Trudeau government will reshuffle its cabinet on Wednesday and sources have said that there is a possibility that Ottawa is appointing a minister dedicated to seniors Previous federal cabinets have had portfolios of seniors and supporters have urged the Trudeau government to bring the post back.
Conference Board Report Figures Show Why We're Focusing on Life The Canadian population is on an inescapable trajectory The results show that the proportion of seniors in Canada will increase to 21% over the next decade from its current level of 16.9%. Health care costs for average seniors are approximately $ 12,000 per year, compared to $ 2,700 for all others.
However, the concern is how cash – strapped governments – federal, provincial or territorial – increase funding for health care.
The federal government transfers funds to the provinces and territories to help pay for health care. The study estimates that federal health transfers account for about 22% of all state-funded health care.
The authors predict that health costs will increase faster than the economy. They expect the federal transfer to increase by 3.6% per year over the next decade, while health care costs are projected to increase by 5.1% per year.
Without change, provincial and territorial governments will be stuck to pay the difference. the report said.
The study noted that as the price tag on health swells in the coming years, governments will also find themselves facing additional economic pressures related to the aging of the population. Beyond the growing proportion of older people, the report predicts that the country will also have to cope with the increasing pressure of costs from other sources, including population growth, the improvement of the active population. quality of care and inflation due to rising prices for drugs, medical services and hospital maintenance
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Andy Blatchford, The Canadian Press
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