MLA Irving on health care cuts

Hi Heather,

Is this the article you were referring to? http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1164046-liberals-counting-on-health-board-savings 

My understanding is that the federal health care formula will now be simply based on population and will not reflect our needs of an aging population. That's why Alberta is the winner and and Nova Scotia losses.

Keith 

Keith Irving                                    

MLA - Kings South

E-mail:          irving4mla@gmail.com

Twitter:        @irving4mla

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Webpage:    http://irving4mla.ca

    

Thanks so much, Keith. - Heather

(Text from the article: The McNeil government hopes that merging health boards will help it cope with a new federal health formula that enriches Alberta at the expense of other provinces.

The federal change means Nova Scotia will receive $23 million less in health transfers next year than it would have under the current formula.

All provinces will get less money under the new system except Alberta, which will receive an extra billion dollars a year, starting next year.

It’s an added challenge for Nova Scotia, which already spends 47 per cent of its budget on health care, more than any other province. Manitoba is second at 44 per cent.

If trends continue, more than half of Nova Scotia’s spending will go to health care within a few years.)