About the Health Accord

Public health care is the only sustainable way to care for all Canadians.

We spend roughly half of what the private U.S. system spends per person, and we get better coverage and health outcomes.

But the former Harper government made a choice to walk away from public health care and spend those resources on tax breaks to corporations.

The federal Conservative government cut $43.5 billion from health funding. The Conservatives were going to starve the system, making it is impossible to provide the services we need.

Then they were going to argue that the only way to fix the system is to allow profit-making into health care.

The result would be one health system for the wealthy, and another broken system for the rest of us.

The Trudeau government has not halted the health care funding cuts. Our public health care system is still in danger.

We need the federal Liberal government to negotiate a Health Accord with the provinces that includes payment for a fair share of provincial health care costs – at least 25%. The federal government must stop health care privatization and extra billing and enforce the Canada Health Act. It needs to increase investments in not-for-profit community care, home care and long-term care for our seniors and establish a national, universal and public drug plan.

What is a Health Accord?

A Health Accord is an agreement between the provinces, territories and federal government.

An Accord is the best way we can ensure equal access to health services across Canada.

Why is a new Health Accord important?

It’s the best way we can:

  • Guarantee stable and fair funding;
  • Ensure equal access to health care across provinces and territories;
  • Enforce national benchmarks so everyone gets high quality care;
  • Stop gouging through extra-billing and illegal fees and,
  • Expand health coverage to medicines, mental health, and seniors’ care.

What will happen if we don’t get a new Health Accord?

If a new Health Accord is not reached between the federal, provincial and territorial governments:

  • federal funding will fall to 18 per cent, from its original 50 per cent share;
  • inequality between provinces will grow;
  • wait times will lengthen; and,
  • patient care will suffer.

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