Life in Canada
Over the Next Decade, Canada’s Government Will Invest Additional $200 Billion in Healthcare
Recently announced Budget 2023 in Canada, highlighted increased healthcare spending as a top priority. Although the provinces and territories are responsible for paying healthcare, they have asked the federal government for extra money due to pressure on the system brought on by a lack of workers and funding prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The healthcare system in Canada is further strained by the country’s ageing population. According to the 2021 census, there are 861,395 Canadians over the age of 85. Another 2.1 million people are between the ages of 75 and 85. While this is encouraging for a low unemployment rate and a high demand for skilled immigrants in the healthcare industry, it also indicates that Canada’s healthcare system needs greater support.
Later, in early February of this year, the government declared that, in addition to previous commitments, it will spend roughly $200 billion on healthcare in Canada over the following ten years. This includes expanded Canada Health Transfer policies and $46.2 billion in funding that was given to the provinces and territories.
Here’s a budget 2023 giving more information on healthcare spending:
Healthcare Spending For Canadians and Newcomers
Dental care spending
Budget 2023 establishes a deal between the Liberal administration and the NDP (New Democratic Party), a national dental plan for Canadians without insurance. The Canadian Dental Care Plan is to be implemented with a budget proposal of $13 billion over five years and $4.4 billion annually.
According to the budget, the new program will offer dental care to Canadians without insurance who earn less than $90,000 per year in family income, with no co-pays for those earning less than $70,000. The Canada Dental Benefit, which provides qualified parents or guardians with direct, upfront, tax-free payments to cover the cost of dental care for their under-12 dependents, has already been helping children of uninsured parents.
Other Spending
- The Budget’s healthcare plan included a number of other proposals. One of these, 988, a hotline for suicide prevention and help in times of mental health crises, will get $158.4 million over the course of three years in funding.
- The Budget also included a $36 million, three-year proposal to reauthorize the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund.
- This fund assists community-based organisations in assisting vulnerable populations, including newcomers, in having easier access to abortion and other sexual and reproductive health information and services.
The Budget also includes a request for $10 million over the course of two years to support ParticipACTION’s Let’s Get Moving Initiative, which will help fund national programming that encourages everyday physical activity.
