Two victories in Ontario’s new health deal
Typically, when governments want to slip something through with a bare minimum of press scrutiny, they do it on a Friday afternoon when media antennae are drooping after another long week.
Whether that has something to do with why the new 10-year health accord between Ontario and Ottawa was announced mid-afternoon Friday is debatable. The province is painting the deal as a victory, of course. But Ontario didn’t get what it wanted most, which was continuation of a federal-provincial Canadian Health Transfer payment increase of about six per cent. Instead, increases will be limited to three per cent, with protections built in to make sure they stay ahead of inflation and increase along with gross domestic product.
The provinces had pledged to stand united against the reduction, arguing Ottawa already pays too little of the overall health-care bill. They had a strong case, but lost a strategic battle as one province after another deserted the unified front and signed unilateral deals thanks to customized enhancements that appealed to the individual players. On Friday, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec came aboard, leaving only Manitoba as the lone holdout.
So, a strategic victory for Ottawa and a failure of provincial collective unity? Yes. But none of that matters if the agreement isn’t good for health-care consumers. And while it is too soon for an overarching verdict on that, it’s fair to say the accord contains some significant good news.
Specifically, Ontario will receive $2.3 billion in dedicated funding for home care and $1.9 billion more for mental health initiatives over the next decade. That’s not as astronomical as it may sound. Given the need for expanded home care in Ontario, $230 million annually is more than a drop in the bucket but less than what’s needed. The province will need to augment that investment. A cohesive, equitable home-care system across the province is an essential part of health reform, specifically ensuring that aging baby boomers can remain independent as long as possible. That need will only grow as more and more of us reach that point in our lives.
On the mental health front, that huge-sounding $1.9 billion amounts to $190 million annually. Again, it’s no silver bullet. But it could make a real difference, as Camille Quenneville, CEO of the Ontario division of the Canadian Mental Health Association, says.
“Helping Ontarians maintain their mental wellness, cope with daily mental health challenges or diagnosed mental health challenges can drive cost savings for the entire health system,” she said in response to the announcement. She’s right, especially if new measures are proactive and include destigmatizing mental health issues as well as public education.
Mental health and home care. Two key health issues for Ontarians. To the extent that dedicated funding will help drive them forward, this is a positive agreement.