LIBERAL GOVERNMENT MUST CONSIDER THE AGING POPULATION IN A NEW HEALTH ACCORD

OTTAWA — The NDP is asking the Liberal government to consider recommendations made by the Canadian Medical Association to include a health care strategy for seniors and funding for such a strategy in the agreement that is currently being negotiated on federal health transfers.

These recommendations echo those of the provincial and territorial premiers, who met in July and unanimously called for Ottawa to increase the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) to cover 25% of all health care spending by the provinces and territories in order to meet the needs of the aging population and deal with the resulting spike in health care costs.

“It is high time that the federal government recognized that the aging population has a direct impact on the cost of health care for provinces and territories. They are having difficulty meeting existing health care needs because of the aging population. We need to find positive and sustainable solutions for the health of our seniors,” said NDP Families, Children and Social Development Critic Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe – Bagot).

For the NDP, such a solution involves creating an aging strategy and recognizing the impact of the aging population in the new health accord that is being negotiated between the federal government and the provinces and territories.

“The Prime Minister has committed to negotiating a new long-term agreement on health care funding and modernizing the health care system in order to take into account the aging population,” added NDP Health Critic, Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway). “The time for action is now.”

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