B.C. and Feds announce $426 million in new health funding

B.C. signs two new bilateral agreements with the federal government as Minister Holland prepares to publish an interpretation bulletin on patient charges. On that, and more, here is your Syntax Weekly Health Round-Up.

Around the Hill

• The House of Commons and Senate are adjourned for the summer recess.

Around Government 

• Health Minister Mark Holland this week commented on the forthcoming bulletin clarifying that Canadians shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for medically necessary primary care provided by health professionals other than physicians, including nurse practitioners. The bulletin, which has been anticipated for several months, follows a request by Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones for the federal government to clarify the Canada Health Act to address a grey zone in the law that allowed non-physician providers to charge for some medically necessary services provided outside of a hospital setting. In recent years, scope of practice for many non-physician providers has increased, allowing nurses, pharmacists, and others to provide certain primary care services.

Around the Dominion

• The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced the details of the Seniors’ Health and Well-Being Plan. The plan focuses on improving seniors’ well-being and supporting healthy aging, establishing Centres of Excellence in Aging, and strengthening integration and service delivery across the care continuum. The plan includes a new Aging Well at Home Grant, a Caregiver Benefit, and funding for home repair and modifications.
• The Government of P.E.I. reached a tentative agreement on a five-year physician services agreement, a key part of the province’s physician retention and recruitment strategy. The tentative agreement will now go to MSPEI eligible physician members for ratification. The province also announced that it was making naloxone kits available, free of charge, at participating pharmacies across the province.   
• The Government of Ontario announced it is continuing to seek additional ways to expand the scope of practice for pharmacists. To do so, the province is consulting with partners on further expanding the ability of pharmacists to provide care by treating additional common ailments, administering more vaccines, ordering lab tests, and performing more point-of-care testing.
• In B.C., federal Health Minister Mark Holland and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced a $426 million federal investment as part of two bilateral agreements. The funding will provide $232 million under an amended Aging with Dignity Agreement to support compensation for personal support workers (or health care assistants as they are known in B.C.). In addition, the federal government will provide $194 million to improve access to drugs for rare diseases, early diagnosis, and screening.