Ottawa Jeopardizing the Future of Health Care

Ottawa's latest budget ignores the critical need for more health care funding to the provinces, Nova Scotia's finance minister said today.

"The provinces and territories have been speaking with one voice in an effort to get the federal government to recognize their role and responsibility in funding health care in this country," said Neil LeBlanc. "Last week's federal budget did not commit any new dollars to health care. While our costs are escalating, the federal share of funding is decreasing."

Mr. LeBlanc said that when Medicare was first introduced, Ottawa shared the costs equally with the province. Today the federal government provides just 14 cents of each dollar spent on health care in Nova Scotia. Ottawa is giving the province less money today than it gave 10 years ago, yet during the same period, our health budget has increased by over $600 million.

"People are going to notice a difference in health care if the federal government continues to refuse to be a full partner in health care funding," said Health Minister Jamie Muir. "Ottawa's failure to adequately fund health care is irresponsible, unreasonable and unfair. Our commitment to the people of Nova Scotia is unwavering. We will continue the fight to get Ottawa back as a full partner. It's critical if we are to continue to meet all of the people's health care needs in a timely way."

Nova Scotia, along with every other province and territory, is facing ever-escalating cost pressures on the system which are beyond control, as they are based on need. Cost drivers to the health system include things like new drugs, new technologies, an aging population and increased use of the system. If properly met, they would mean a 14 to 16 per cent increase in the health budget.

Mr. LeBlanc said that Nova Scotia is still not back to the level of funding it received from the federal government in 1994-95.