B.C., feds reach $27 billion health funding deal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Langley Wednesday to announce that the B.C. government has agreed in principle to a $27.47 billion deal for health-care funding from the federal government.

This agreement between B.C. and Ottawa is for $3.3 billion over 10 years, which works out to about $600 million in new money each year for the province, and is the first step to completing a $196-billion funding proposal that Trudeau made with Canada’s premiers last month.

Read more: Trudeau lays out $196B, 10-year health-care offer to premiers

“Our government has laid out a plan to strengthen public health-care across the country, working hand in hand with provinces. This plan will make major investments but we know that money alone won’t fix everything,” Trudeau said in a press conference.

“We also want to work with provinces and territories on bilateral deals that will deliver real improvements that people can see and feel. So I’m so glad that today, we’re able to officially announce that the federal government and the government of British Columbia have reached an agreement in principle that moves us forward on health-care,” he said.

Premier David Eby says that the last few years were hard for health-care workers, due in part to the pandemic.

“It’s been hard on British Columbians too. Record-setting growth has meant that too many British Columbians looking for a family doctor can’t find one [and are] concerned that if they get sick, they go to hospital, they may not get the care that they need. That is unacceptable, and we are moving in partnership with the federal government to address it,” Eby said.

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“We’re glad to have them take the step with us and be part of improving our health-care systems across the country from coast to coast to coast. Both provinces will join the seven others that have already signed on and creating three-year action plans that map out exactly how they will use these funds to make the improvements that Canadians are counting on,” Eby said.

Eby says that the principle agreement includes $6 billion for stabilizing health-care in the province, along with $3 billion to be distributed over 10 years for “targeted funding in priority areas.”

“More needs to be done. Expanding access to family health services, including in rural and remote areas, reducing backlogs, better supporting B.C.’s health-care workers, modernizing how we track and report our health-care data, improving access to mental health and addiction services and supporting investments in long term care and home care for all British Columbians,” Eby said.

“We’re signing onto a flexible funding agreement with the federal government here that will provide made-in-B.C. solutions because all provinces have different needs and B.C. is no exception to that.”

A joint statement from Eby, Health Minister Adrian Dix, and Jennifer Whiteside, the minister of mental health and addictions, reads in part:

“Today, the Government of Canada and British Columbia announced an agreement in principle to improve health-care services across B.C. through $3.3 billion over 10 years of new bilateral funding focusing on shared health-care priorities, and $273 million through immediate, one-time Canada Health Transfers top-up to address urgent needs, especially in emergency rooms and pediatric hospitals, as well as long wait times for surgeries.”

It adds that this comes after months of negotiations and the money will help improve B.C.’s health-care services, including “improving access to cancer care, primary care, seniors care, acute care, and mental health and substance-use services for British Columbians.”

With files from the Canadian Press