This is a quick sketch of the agreement reached by the First Ministers. As we receive analyses from national partners we will pass them on. We will send out our more in-depth analysis of what this means for Ontarians later today.

Money

$41 billion increase over next 10 years

- this more than closes the Romanow Gap and puts federal health spending at around

25% of the total government spending

$3 billion will come in next 2 years

As of 2005/06 the new Canada Health Transfer base will be $19 billion, (up from approx. $12 - 14 billion now).

Money Targets

Wait times - $4.5 billion over next 6 years and $250 million annually thereafter.

Homecare & catastrophic drug coverage - $500 million in 2005/06

Medical equipment - $500 million

Privatization and Stopping For-Profit Health Care

Despite their promises in both our provincial election campaign and in the federal election campaign, neither McGuinty nor Martin pushed the stopping of for-profit healthcare.

Extension of the Principles of the Canada Health Act to Cover Homecare & Pharmacare

Not mentioned.

Enforcement of the Canada Health Act

Not mentioned.

Strings/Accountability/Standards & Extension of Medicare

These are minimal as follows.

Wait times- By 2005 the provinces will setablish comparable benchmarks and indicators in five areas: cancer, heart, diagnostics, joint replacement, and sight restoration. Each province will then set targets by 2007. Provinces will report on their progress to their own citizens (not to the federal government). The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) will report on progress.

Homecare - By 2006 the provinces will cover:

2 weeks of acute care;

2 weeks of mental health case management & crisis response, and;

end-of-life case management, nursing, some drugs, and personal care.

Pharmacare - By 2006 a national task force will report on progress towards a national pharmaceuticals strategy that is supposed to broadly include: discussions about catastrophic drug coverage; a common national drug formulary and purchasing strategies; prescription management; a mention of "real world" drug safety which is undefined, and; some items that are about getting drugs to market faster that may benefit the drug industry. Other drug cost control measures are not mentioned.

Health Human Resources - a few very broad statements on targeted efforts to increase supply in Aboriginal and Official Languages Minority Communities, accelerating foreign granduate assessment & integration, reducing financial burden for students in specific health education programs.

Primary Care Reform - Not much new or specific.

Northern Care - $150 million over 5 years with a national/territorial working group to support the management of the fund and a promise to develop a vision.

Public Health, Prevention, Innovation - Not much new or specific.

You can get a copy of the agreement at: http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/feature.asp?pageld=2&id=260

(If the link does not work on your computer, go to the Government of Canada website and click on the First Ministers' Meeting graphic, follow the links to the release dated September 16).