OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Universal, accessible, and publicly funded health care is a point of pride for Canadians, which is why upholding the Canada Health Act (CHA) remains critical to protecting our health care system.

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, tabled the 2021-2022 Canada Health Act Annual Report in Parliament. This tabling follows the recent announcement of the federal government's plan to invest $198.6 billion over 10 years, including $48.7 billion in new funding, to improve health care services for Canadians.

Canadians and their families deserve timely access to the health services they need, when and where they need them. The federal government will continue working with the provinces and territories to uphold the CHA and make sure they respect its principles by ensuring all Canadians have equitable access to medically necessary care based on their needs, not their ability to pay.

The Report tabled today is developed by the Canadian government, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, and provides information on the extent to which provincial and territorial health care insurance plans have fulfilled the requirements of the Act.

The Government of Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to the principles of the CHA, which are linked to federal payments to provinces and territories under the Canada Health Transfer (CHT). If a province or territory permits extra-billing or user charges for medically necessary health services, a mandatory dollar-for-dollar deduction must be taken from the jurisdiction's CHT. 

In 2022, the Government of Canada did levy penalties against some provinces and territories based on evidence of patient charges for medically necessary health care services in the fiscal year 2019-2020. However, Health Canada is working with those jurisdictions to rectify those issues by facilitating reimbursement in situations where they can demonstrate that these patient charges will be eliminated for future reporting periods.

The goal of the CHA has never been to levy penalties, but rather to ensure patients are not charged for the insured services they have already paid for through their taxes. Provinces and territories that face mandatory deductions have the opportunity to be reimbursed through the CHA Reimbursement Policy if they work collaboratively with Health Canada to develop an action plan and take the necessary steps to eliminate patient charges as well as the underlying circumstances which led to them.

Our government is committed to continue working closely with provinces and territories to ensure that our investments are used in the best interest of patients and health workers. It is of the utmost importance to make sure the health care system provides insured services based on one's needs and not their ability or willingness to pay.

Quotes

"Canadians are proud of our publicly funded health care system, and we will continue to uphold the values of equity, fairness, and solidarity that underpin the Canada Health Act. As we continue to support improvements to our health care system by investing $198.6 billion over 10 years, Canadians can rest assured that the investments will be used in a way that respects the Canada Health Act, protecting universal access to health services based on need, not on ability to pay."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

Quick facts:

• The CHA was passed in 1984 with the unanimous support of the House of Commons. The CHA establishes criteria and conditions related to insured health services and extended health care services that the provinces and territories must fulfill to receive the full federal cash contribution under the CHT. 
• The CHT is the largest funding transfer to provinces and territories to support Canada's health care system. It provides long-term predictable funding for health care, and supports the principles of the CHA, which are public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability, and accessibility.
• The 2021-2022 Canada Health Act Annual Report includes CHT deductions taken in March 2022 for patient charges that occurred during the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and reimbursements issued to provinces and territories based on their reimbursement plans.

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SOURCE Health Canada