# Harper gov't starting to negotiate new health accord



## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

From the news today, the Harper gov't is starting negotiations with the 
provinces on the *new health accord * to replace the current one
that was to expire in 2014. 

With the ever increasing aging population (masses of baby boomers retiring now) the new reality facing the federal/provincial gov'ts is that the current level of funding for transfer payments for medicare.. will no longer be sustainable, under the current scheme of federal transfers of payments to the provinces over the next few years. 

Realizing that it may take a "few months" to hammer out a viable plan, the
Harper gov't has extended the current level of payments at least until 2016 to allow the federal health minister(s) and the provincial health ministers to hammer out a new deal, that is more acceptable to both federal and provincial health and finance ministers. 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/11/25/pol-health-ministers.html

Certainly some kind of funding changes will be necessary to sustain the current level of health care and changes are "blowing in the wind". 

Some "possibilities" coming up in the next 2 years:

- new health taxes
- squeeze the seniors with some kind of additional co-payment plan 
where they pay the first $10 for doctor's/emergency hospital visits
- reduce the coverage of seniors drug benefit plans 
- make medicinal marijuana free for those with terminal illness pain
- increase the provincial taxes on health deteriorating sins (booze/tobacco)
- reduce the threshold on income for health taxes collected on filing
income taxes for the very low income seniors/the unemployed/those 
on welfare..they will have to pay more, since they use the system
the most.
- place an additional health surtax on those with taxable incomes 
above $87K
- set up care centers for those unable to pay their fair share of their
health costs in unused in vacant warehouses, with BYO sleeping bags
and only one shared toilet facility, no hot water..(like in India)


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## carverman (Nov 8, 2010)

Harper gov't today submitted a "take it or leave it" 6%/year increase for
funding health care to the provinces to 2017.
No negotiation allowed ...just here it is and that's all we can afford to
give you pending the state of the economy.

Needless to say the provincial health ministers were not too happy with that
news.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

Further, I think Flaherty said that moving beyond 2015, it will drop to 3% or some such number.


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## DanFo (Apr 9, 2011)

He said it would be indexed to GDP growth after 2016 but gaurenteed a min of 3 % /year. I'd rather a government that informs the provinces what they are to expect in the coming future than to promise everything and shock them in the end. I wonder what other government run programs are getting a 6% funding increase for the next 4 years..I would guess not many?? Besides who knows which party will be in control after the next election anyway.


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