Canada: Federal Government Releases 2022 Budget: Highlights Of Investments In Healthcare
18 April 2022
Miller Thomson LLP
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On April 7, 2022, the Canadian Federal Government released its 2022 Budget entitled A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable.
The Budget includes various supports for the health sector, including responding to the effects of COVID-19, the backlog of health procedures resulting from COVID-19, the need for widespread mental health services and supports, and support for Indigenous peoples. Highlights of investments for the health system include:
Health Care System
- A Canada Health Transfer of $45.2 billion in 2022-23.
- $2 billion through a top-up to the Canada Heath Transfer to address surgery and procedure backlogs.
- $20 million over five years starting in 2022-23 for the Canadian Institute of Health Research to support additional research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections on Canadians, as well as the wider impacts of COVID-19 on health and health care systems.
- $20 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to ramp up efforts to learn more about dementia and brain health, to improve treatment and outcomes for persons living with dementia, and to evaluate and address mental health consequences for caregivers and different models of care.
- $30 million over three years, starting in 2022-23, to the Public Health Agency of Canada, for the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation to help accelerate innovations in brain health and aging.
- $26.2 million over four years, starting in 2023-24 and $7 million ongoing to increase the maximum amount of forgivable student loans by 50% for nurses and doctors working in underserved rural or remote communities.
- $5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23 and $1.7 billion ongoing to Health Canada to provide dental care for Canadian families with an income less than $90,000 annually, with no co-pays for those under $70,0000 annually in income.
Mental Health
- $140 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to Health Canada for the Wellness Together Canada portal so it can continue to provide Canadians with tools and services to support their mental health and well-being.
- $100 million over three years, starting in 2022-23 to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to support harm reduction, treatment, and prevention at the community level.
- $3.7 million over four years, starting in 2022-23, to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for Black-led engagement, design, and implementation of a Mental Health Fund for Black federal public servants.
Public Health
- $436.2 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, with $15.5 million in remaining amortization, to the Public Health Agency of Canada, to strengthen key surveillance and risk assessment capacities within the Agency. This will include supporting the real-time tracking of the evolution of viruses, monitoring the longer-term health impacts of COVID-19, and expanding risk assessment capacity and research networks for new strains of flu, emerging respiratory infections, and vaccine safety and effectiveness.
- $50 million in 2022-23 to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the operations of the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile.
- $25 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, for Women and Gender Equality Canada to establish a national pilot project for a Menstrual Equity Fund that will help make menstrual products available to Canadians in need.
Indigenous Communities
- $268 million in 2022-23 to continue to provide high-quality health care in remote and isolated First Nations communities on-reserve.
- $190.5 million in 2022-23 to Indigenous Services Canada for the Indigenous Community Support Fund to help Indigenous communities and organizations mitigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19.
- $227.6 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to maintain trauma-informed, culturally-appropriate, Indigenous-led services to improve mental wellness, and to support efforts initiated through Budget 2021 to co-develop distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategies.
The full 2022 Budget can be accessed here. Miller Thomson’s Health Industry Group will continue to monitor developments related to these new investments impacting the health sector. We remain On Call to answer your questions and support your legal needs.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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