Ontario’s doctors support the Ford government’s call for the federal government to contribute more to health-care funding and hope to see a new commitment in the Fall Economic Statement.
Canada’s premiers have called on Ottawa to increase the Canada Health Transfer from the current 22 per cent to 35 per cent of provincial-territorial health-care spending. This would give the provinces and territories the resources necessary to make health-system improvements within their respective jurisdictions.
“Health-care spending was intended to be shared by the federal government and the provinces and territories, but the federal government’s share has decreased over time,” said OMA President Dr. Rose Zacharias. “Provinces cannot fix the existing cracks in the health-care system alone, never mind build a health-care system for the future.”
In an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health earlier this year, the OMA also called on Ottawa to:
- Provide an incentive for physicians to practice in the north by offering federal tax relief of 15 per cent
- Fund Canada Health Infoway to develop application programming interfaces, or APIs, to link the electronic medical records systems used within each province as a lack of interoperability is one of the most common digital health factors associated with burnout
- Support the development of virtual care appropriateness guidance by the national level specialty societies, as such guidelines reduce decision fatigue for physicians and support equitable, appropriate and high-quality care across the country
The OMA sets out solutions for rebuilding the health-care system in its Prescription for Ontario: Doctor’s 5-Point Plan for Better Health Care.