Ontario Investing More Than $50 Billion in Health Care

Ontario is continuing to make greater investment in Ontario’s health care system to give Ontarians faster access to the right care

– Hamilton, ON

As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario is continuing to make greater investment in Ontario’s health care system to give Ontarians faster access to the right care, now and in the future. In 2016-17, the government would be investing $51.8 billion in health care.

Highlights include:
•Investing more than $345 million in all publicly-funded hospitals, including a one per cent increase to base funding.
•Creating more integrated, team-based primary care with an additional $85 million over three years to recruit and retain qualified primary care staff.
•An additional $130 million in cancer care services, over the next three years, allowing for the delivery of more services and preventive programs.
•Increasing funding by $250 million to expand capacity to deliver high-quality home and community care.
•Making the shingles vaccine free for eligible seniors aged 65 to 70, saving them about $170 in out-of-pocket expenses.
•As part of the 10-year Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, investing an additional $4 million for 248 new supportive housing units.
•Investing an additional $75 million in community-based hospices and palliative care, for a total investment of about $155 million over three years.
•Increasing annual funding for Behavioural Supports Ontario by $10 million, building on base funding of $44 million and other substantial increases the government has made in long-term care homes since 2003/04.
•Keeping Ontarians healthy by using $5 million of increased revenues from new tobacco tax to support investments to enhance priority populations’ access to smoking cessation services.

Through recent actions to transform health care, the Province has increased patients’ access to primary care, provided more care for people at home, and reduced wait times for surgeries, diagnostic procedures and emergency department care.

Increased investment in health care is part of the government’s plan to build a better Ontario through its Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care, which provides patients with faster access to the right care; better home and community care; the information they need to live healthy; and a health care system that is sustainable for generations to come.

 

Click here to see more information