Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talks to reporters in the foyer as he arrives for question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. Trudeau is joining Canada's premiers at the table today where he is set to offer them a significant increase towards health-care funding. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will increase federal health-care transfers to the provinces by $196 billion over the next 10 years, though only about one-quarter of that is new, previously unexpected money.
Trudeau is making the offer to the premiers today at a meeting in Ottawa.
He says it will include an immediate and unconditional top-up of $2 billion to the Canada Health Transfer to ease the intense pressure on hospitals.
The proposal includes a promise to increase the annual Canada Health Transfer over the next decade by another $17 billion above previous commitments.
As well, $25 billion will be sent over 10 years through one-on-one agreements with each province for four priority areas including family medicine, surgical backlogs, mental health and modernizing data-collection systems.
Trudeau says the one-one-one agreements can be flexible but provinces will have to show plans for how they will spend money and how they will measure progress in those areas.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.
