P.E.I. looks to avoid significant change to federal health funding

A scheduled change in federal funding to health care could have a significant impact on P.E.I, says provincial Health Minister Rob Henderson.

Provincial and territorial ministers are getting together with federal minister Jane Philpott in Toronto Tuesday. Philpott has said she has an obligation to do more than "simply open up the federal wallet" as she negotiates a new health care accord with the provinces.

The annual increase in the federal envelope of health money is scheduled to drop to three per cent from six per cent next year.

Henderson said P.E.I. would like to avoid that kind of decrease, but the province understands Ottawa may want to have some input in how federal money is spent.

"The federal government has been up front in saying that it would like to have some targeted funds for issues around addictions and mental health, some funding around home care," he said.

"We are interested in that as well, but there has to be some formula at least that sees the province maintain a reasonable amount of funding to come in here to meet those demands."

Common pressures

Henderson said currently Ottawa contributes about $147 million to P.E.I.'s health care budget. That's about 23 per cent of the $630 million annual cost.

P.E.I. and the other Atlantic provinces have some common pressures on their health care systems, including older demographics.

Henderson said he would like to see all provinces able to offer similar services and drugs.

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