Health ministers discussions focused on wrong issues, says health group

The chair of the P.E.I. Health Coalition says health ministers from across the country are ducking the "elephant in the room" this week by failing to make a new health accord a top priority of their discussions.

The provincial health ministers are set to discusspot legislation,pharmacare, mental health and the opioid crisisin Edmonton.

But the coalition's Mary Boyd says the ministers are missing the mark by not addressing the health accord that the provinces signed onto earlier this year.

We can't have a patchwork of 14 different health entities all with not enough funds.Mary Boyd, P.E.I. Health Coalition

"That should be front and centre on the meeting agenda," she said.

Last year's talks between the federal Liberal governmentand the provincesfailed to produce a long-term national dealon a new health accord.

• Ottawa, provinces fail to reach a deal on health spending
• Ontario, Quebec and Alberta sign health-care deals with federal government

The provinces'reluctance to signat the timemostly revolved around the federal government's offer of anannual funding increase of 3.5 per cent adrop from the six per cent annual increases received under the Harper government.

'Substantial cuts' coming to P.E.I.:Boyd

The federal government has, since the failed deal in December, made individual deals with each province which left the provinces short of keeping their annual increase at around five or six per cent.

"Because of the failure of the health accord negotiations there's going to be substantial cuts in health care to every province. We're going to have to cope with that on P.E.I.," Boyd said.

• New Brunswick secures $230M more for health care from Ottawa over 10 years
• Manitoba final province to sign health-care pact with feds

Boyd said she met with the province's healthminister, RobertHenderson, and asked him to make health accordrenegotiationsfront and centre of the meetings in Edmonton.

"[Henderson]told us that health needs and demands have grown by six per cent, so we have growing demands and we have a shortfall in funds."

5.2 per cent increase is the goal

She said the top priority would be for P.E.I. to obtainfunding that more closely matched the previous deal.

"5.2 per cent would meet the growing needs it will be touch and go but it's enough to safeguard our single payer system," she said.

"We can'thavea patchwork of 14 different healthentities all with not enough funds."

• P.E.I. signs on to health accord with federal government

P.E.I. signed the health accord deal in January, settling at3.5 per cent.

At the time, Premier Wade MacLauchlancalled it "the best deal we can get for today."

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