Saskatchewan reaches agreement with feds on health-care funding

Saskatchewan has formally accepted the federal government’s offer on health-care funding.

According to a media release, the agreement in principle announced Wednesday will see $5.94 billion in federal funding flow into Saskatchewan over 10 years. It provides the province with a one-time, $61-million investment and a $111-million annual cash injection to the province’s $6.4-billion health-care budget under bilateral agreements.

The provincial government said the funding “will be used to accelerate or enhance new measures underway to improve access to primary health care, surgeries and mental health and addiction services.”

“Saskatchewan is making significant investments to build a stronger, more resilient health-care system that works for everyone in our province,” Paul Merriman, Saskatchewan’s health minister, said in the federal government’s media release.

“This agreement in principle with the federal government is a positive step that will accelerate and enhance work already underway. Saskatchewan continues to make record investments into the health-care system to address key priorities such as reducing surgical backlogs and wait times, and expanding access to mental health services.”

On Feb. 7, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with premiers and laid out the details of the federal government’s 10-year, $196-billion offer. The premiers were hoping to see an immediate cash injection of $28 billion and yearly increases after that, but Ottawa offered an estimated $46 billion in new funding over 10 years.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe initially expressed his disappointment with the offer, but subsequently said he expected provinces to accept the deal.

Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta and Manitoba all reached agreements with the federal government over the past week. B.C. announced Wednesday it had done the same.

Saskatchewan’s deal includes $1.11 billion for what the federal government called “a new bilateral agreement focusing on the shared health-care priorities.” It also features a $61-million, one-time Canada Health Transfer top-up.

The feds said that latter investment will be used for what it called “urgent needs,” including in pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms, and to address long wait times for surgeries.

The federal government said the funding would be used to address health care in rural and remote areas, staffing issues across the province, mental health and addictions services, and patient access to electronic health information that’s shared between health professionals.

According to the media release, the two governments also will try to “streamline” the process for recognizing the credentials of internationally educated health professionals.

Saskatchewan is in the process of attempting to add 1,000 health-care workers over the next few years through its Health Human Resources Action Plan. Workers from the Philippines and Ukraine are among those entering the province’s system.

“Today’s agreement in principle with Saskatchewan is an opportunity to continue our collaboration and improve the experience of health workers and those they care for,” Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal health minister, said in the release.

“It will modernize our health-care system, improve access to family health services and mental health services, reduce surgical backlogs and support health workers. Better quality of care means helping residents of Saskatchewan and Canadians live longer, healthier lives.”

The release said work now will begin on a bilateral agreement to set targets, timelines and “additional common indicators” for improvements to the system.