What was announced:

$1 billion this year (this is in addition to the $2 billion they have announced several times)

$2 billion next fiscal year (2005/06)

$4 billion over five years starting in 05/06 to reduce waiting times in target areas ($800 mill per year)

$2 billion over five years starting in 05/06 for homecare ($400 mill per year)

This means:

The federal share of health funding will increase to just under 25% in the short term. Then, unless there is a commitment to increase the base transfer (which we cannot find in this announcement) it will start to fall again. The Liberals committed to a funding escalator (increases base funding by a formula) without specifics - this will increase the base transfer every year. They need to be clear that this escalator will increase funding to cover the costs of inflation, population growth and other relevant factors. The target money to reduce waiting times will only be used this way if the federal government creates a proactive mechanism to ensures it happens. Reporting after-the-fact will not help waiting times. (Remember the money in the 2000/01 accord that was supposed to be targetted to health technology such as MRI scanners of which a substantial portion was used for grants to private long term care facilities, lawn mowers etc.)

There is no mention of ensuring that the new funding is not wasted by funnelling funds into the profits of private health companies. Paul Martin tried to sidestep the issue of health privatization during his announcement saying that he sees the provinces as being in charge of this. There is no country in the world able to deliver a universal health system through for profit corporations as it is simply to expensive and reduces democratic control. Sustainability of public medicare in this country relies on all levels of government working to stop and roll back privatization.

What was announced:

Funding will be $400 million per year starting in 2005/06. Announcement says new national program will encompass rehabilitation, palliative care and mental health.

This means:

Unfortunately, the announcement does not include a set of principles or national standards that expressly cover homecare services with the principles of the Canada Health Act and excludes personal support and homemaking services that help prevent illness and injury and enable elderly people, persons with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses to live independently. So, although it might free up some money in provincial health budgets to extend services to these, it would rely on the beneficence of the provincial governments to do so (unlikely in several cases).

What was announced:

The proposal is for catastrophic drug coverage to be worked out between the federal and provincial/territorial governments.

What this means:

There is no funding announced with the proposed pharmacare strategy making this seem less credible as a promise. The federal government has jurisdiction over the control of drug prices, the marketing practices of the pharmaceutical industry, patents and generic substitution. However, there is nothing in the platform to address the rising cost of drug plans - a major cost driver in all provincial budgets. This could be done through better management of prescription practices, stopping direct advertising to consumers by pharmaceutical corporations, stopping evergreening - the practice of changing the recipe for a drug very slightly so as to extend patent protection and keep the price high, tighter regulation of drug marketing practices, tighter controls on new drug prices, and bulk purchasing.

What was announced:

A three-person expert panel to review contraventions of the Canada Health Act as a new dispute resolution process. Not how this panel would be appointed.

What this means:

The federal government‚s jurisdiction is enforcement of the Canada Health Act. When they have tried to do this - as in the extra-billing cases in the 1980's and more recently in B.C. - it has worked. The lack of federal enforcement of the Act is a result of Paul Martin‚s 1995 budget that unilaterally de-funded the health system dramatically and lack of political will as funding has been re-established. Negotiation about violations of the Canada Health Act is a dangerous proposal, especially if someone like Mazankowski is appointed to this „expert‰ panel. We don‚t need more processes, we need a federal government with the political will to enforce the Act.

What was announced:

Support for a program to train 1,000 new family doctors.

What this means:

There are few details in yesterday‚s announcement so this is unclear. What is clear is that the recommendations from the 2002 Canadian Nursing Advisory Committee to deal with the current and impending nursing shortages are not included. In addition, there is no plan for human resource shortages for health professionals and other practitioners.