The Canadian Medical Association says our health care system is reaching a breaking point. COVID-19 has stretched resources beyond capacity. The CMA says wait times for priority procedures are on the rise. The health care system is failing to respond to the demands of an aging population. The Association says that, if action isn’t taken, the federal share of health care funding will fall below 20 per cent by 2026.

The Association says governments have invested unprecedented resources in responding to the pandemic but these efforts have not addressed chronic issues. The CMA says it has been 16 years since the last substantial discussion among First Ministers to increase health care funding. The organization highlights the lack of progress on the situation saying many of the same issues were discussed at the First Minister Meeting back in 2004.