health care spending
Five provinces including Ontario will see health spending grow close to or exceed 50 per cent of program spending.
Federal regulations discourage provinces from emulating other countries that deliver universal health care without long wait times.
American presidential candidates who want to emulate elements of the Canadian model invite significant negative unintended consequences.
In Canada, the decline in house calls has taken place despite evidence that an increase in house calls would increase quality of care and decrease costs.
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice and Finance Minister Robin Campbell have made it clear the province will reduce government spending in its March budget.
Premier Couillard's government will table its first budget on June 4 and early signs suggest it's not going to be business as usual.
Having spent itself into a considerable deficit problem, the Alberta government seems to be considering a sales tax as part of its plan to dig provincial finances out of the red (or at least theyre trying to start a discussion to that end). The alternative, were led to believe, is fewer and lower-quality public services due to obligatory spending cuts. A closer look at the facts suggests thats not the only option available.
Instead, they could choose a win-win scenario that improves health care while reducing waste and inefficiency.
If history is any guide, Ontario voters should not expect meaningful discussion of health policy during the upcoming provincial election campaign. Indeed, none of the party leaders have so far offered any feasible solutions to one of the provinces most pressing challenges - the unsustainable growth of government health care spending.