Manitoba final province to sign health-care pact with feds

Manitobahas signed a health-care funding agreement with the federal government after months of delay.

The province was the final hold-out to a deal that includes three per cent annual increases to the Canada Health Transfer and an$11billion national fund formental health, addiction support and home care programs.

• Manitoba sole holdout after 3 provinces strike health-care deals

Now, Manitoba will receivean extra $10.9 million $399.6 million over 10 years earmarked forhome care andmental healthservices.

The province signed on with the promise ofa one-time, $5-million federal payment this fiscal year tofight kidney disease and address the growing use of opioids.

"We now have a pan-Canadian agreement," JanePhilpott, the federal health minister said Monday. "All provinces and territories have agreed to the forward work we're going to do."

The agreement requires the province to present a plan to the federal government and the public on how they will spend their targeted funds.

Philpottsaid the provinces will now have to agree on a set of shared metrics to prove that the money is being used effectively.

"Better health-care systems are not always about increasing money," she said. "We need to get better value for the money that we're already investing."

Manitoba Health MinisterKelvin Goertzendisagreed with the language of the agreement, saying it's not truly"pan-Canadian"if everyone doesn't agree to the same deal.

"What we have is a series of bilateral agreements across Canada,"Kelvin Goertzen told CBC News. "I certainly wouldn't consider it pan-Canadian."

Last year, Ottawa announced the Canada Health Transfer would increase by three per cent, down from six per cent increases the provinces had been receiving.

While provinces did not like what was perceived as a cut,each eventually signed onto the deal after Ottawa sweeteend the deal with targeted signingagreements, like funding for opioid addiction help.

Philpott thrilled Manitoba has signed health deal

7 years ago

Duration 1:26

Health Minister Jane Philpott announces the completion of the targeted health funding agreement now that Manitoba has agreed to a 10 year deal for home care, and mental health and addictions.

NDP Health Critic Matt Wiebe criticizedPremier Brian Pallister's government for taking several months to sign on.

"He's created a climate of confrontation and he's actually not working on a better deal for Manitobans on a whole number of fronts," saidWiebe, referring to talks around climate change and fixing the railway to Churchill.

Goertzensaid he has no regrets about waiting months longer than other provinces to sign on.

"It was the right thing to do," he said. "We raised awareness not only in Manitoba but across Canada that health care, the way it's funded now, isn't sustainable."

That is one issue both the NDP and Progressive Conservatives parties agree on three per cent is not a large enough increaseto cover growinghealth-care costs, they say.

"We have not signed on or agreed that the three per cent is good for health care in Canada, either in Manitoba or in other provinces,"Goertzensaid.

Provincial and territorial health ministers presented a united front last fall against Ottawa's insistence that the threeper centannualized increase was a "reasonable escalator," saying that rate was too low to keep pace with a rapidly aging population. But one by one, other provinces eventually signed on to a health deal.

Manitoba final province to sign health care pact with feds

7 years ago

Duration 1:53

Manitoba has signed a health-care funding agreement with the federal government after holding out for nearly a year.

A step forward, says MKO

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, a advocacy group the represents 30 First Nation communities in Manitoba's north, praised the federal and provincial governments for striking a deal that will see millions flow into mental health and home care support.

MKO Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson called it a "promising step toward greater co-operation between governments."

Her organization hopes to play a role in deciding how health care dollars are spent in Indigenous communities.

Premier BrianPallistersaid in March in a letter addressed to Prime Minister JustinTrudeauhe wanted to see more funding for kidney disease support, Indigenous health care and money to cover medical transportation costs before he signed onto anydeal.

The province said it plans to work with the federal government and Indigenous organizationsto improve health care in remote communities.

Both the federal and provincial governments said they plan to co-ordinate procurement for patient transportation, whichmay help lower those costs.