health care

Wednesday December 21, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday December 21, 2016 Ottawa, provinces fail to reach a deal on health spending Ottawa and the provinces have failed to reach a deal on health-care funding, despite a $11.5-billion pledge by the federal government to boost targeted spending on home care and mental health. The federal government has now taken that offer off the table, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Monday, and the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) spending increase will revert to 3 per cent a year as of April 1, 2017. Morneau had told the provinces he was willing to grow that key federal transfer by 3.5 per cent each year over the next five years Ñ at a value of roughly $20 billion Ñ but the provinces balked. "We came to the provinces with a significant offer of funds ... We're disappointed we weren't successful," Morneau told reporters. Jane Philpott, Canada's health minister, said the federal government's money could have made a real difference in the lives of many Canadians. "I woke up this morning feeling very hopeful, thinking about half a million kids that are waiting for care for mental health services and hoping to be able to give them good news today," she said. "We're disappointed that the provinces and territories did not feel like they could accept this offer and that they couldn't find ways to use these resources immediately, to be able to get care out to Canadians.Ó Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said while the provinces rejected the federal funding plan, it was Morneau who was responsible for ending the meeting early. "There was an urgency to close the meeting off. We're here, we desire an agreement, we need to come to a conclusion. Why have anybody attend if there's nothing to negotiate or discuss?" Sousa said, adding Ottawa wasn't willing to listen to evidence that its proposed funding plan would imperil the country's health-care system. (Source: CBC News)Êhttp://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/health-accord

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday December 21, 2016

Ottawa, provinces fail to reach a deal on health spending

Ottawa and the provinces have failed to reach a deal on health-care funding, despite a $11.5-billion pledge by the federal government to boost targeted spending on home care and mental health.

The federal government has now taken that offer off the table, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Monday, and the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) spending increase will revert to 3 per cent a year as of April 1, 2017.

Morneau had told the provinces he was willing to grow that key federal transfer by 3.5 per cent each year over the next five years — at a value of roughly $20 billion — but the provinces balked.

“We came to the provinces with a significant offer of funds … We’re disappointed we weren’t successful,” Morneau told reporters.

Jane Philpott, Canada’s health minister, said the federal government’s money could have made a real difference in the lives of many Canadians.

“I woke up this morning feeling very hopeful, thinking about half a million kids that are waiting for care for mental health services and hoping to be able to give them good news today,” she said.

“We’re disappointed that the provinces and territories did not feel like they could accept this offer and that they couldn’t find ways to use these resources immediately, to be able to get care out to Canadians.”

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said while the provinces rejected the federal funding plan, it was Morneau who was responsible for ending the meeting early.

“There was an urgency to close the meeting off. We’re here, we desire an agreement, we need to come to a conclusion. Why have anybody attend if there’s nothing to negotiate or discuss?” Sousa said, adding Ottawa wasn’t willing to listen to evidence that its proposed funding plan would imperil the country’s health-care system. (Source: CBC News)

 

Wednesday July 11, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday July 11, 2012

Jason Kenney thanks himself in petition

If you want to sign a petition thanking Immigration Minister Jason Kenney for his efforts to reduce health benefits for refugees, look no further than his own website.

“We, the undersigned, thank Jason Kenney for his efforts to streamline benefits afforded to refugees (sic) claimants under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) and bring them in line with the benefits received by taxpaying Canadians, including new Canadians,” says the petition posted to the personal website for the Conservative MP for Calgary Southeast.

A spokesperson for Kenney emailed a similar statement to the Toronto Star on Monday.

“Thousands of people have signed the petition since it was posted weeks ago. We encourage Star readers to visit JasonKenney.ca to sign the petition on the website to support the government in its efforts to make sure that bogus asylum claimants are not receiving better health care than Canadian seniors,” Alexis Pavlich wrote in the email.

Earlier this month, all refugee claimants — except for government-sponsored refugees, such as those who arrive in Canada as permanent residents — lost federally funded supplemental health benefits for prescription drugs, dental work, vision care and medical devices, such as walkers and wheelchairs.

Those refugees who are rejected after exhausting all appeals are also no longer eligible for free health care of any kind, unless their conditions pose a risk to public health or safety, such as infectious diseases like tuberculosis and HIV.

When the Conservative government eventually comes up with its list of designated “safe” countries, refugee claimants hailing from nations on that list will face the same restrictions as rejected claimants. (Source: Toronto Star)