Canada’s 13 Premiers met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Thursday to propose increasing the amount of the Canada Healthcare Transfer to 35 percent.

Other conversations centered around the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccinations across the country. Premier Scott Moe says he was happy to hear that the federal government would fully cover the cost of the vaccine. The provinces will be responsible for delivery of the vaccines. He is hopeful that this model might set the standard for future discussions around the Canada Healthcare Transfer.

The provincial leaders were hoping to see the Transfer, the portion of healthcare costs covered by the federal government, raised to 35 percent, something Premier Scott Moe says was, at one point, 50-50.

The Canadian Medical Association is also concerned about Ottawa’s attitude towards funding. The CMA says our health care system is reaching a breaking point and, if action isn’t taken, the federal share of health care funding will fall below 20 per cent by 2026.

The CMA highlights the lack of progress on funding saying many of the same issues were discussed at the First Minister Meeting back in 2004.

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