Question Period Note: Canada Health Act Compliance

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KEY MESSAGES
· Our Government is firmly committed to Canada’s publicly funded health care system and the principle that everyone deserves access to quality, accessible and universal health care.
· The Canada Health Act ensures all Canadians have access to medically necessary health care services based on their health need, not their ability or willingness to pay.
· This Government has committed to stand up and defend the Canada Health Act to ensure that patients do not face barriers when accessing medically necessary care. Toward that end, Health Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories to eliminate patient charges for medically necessary services.
IF PRESSED …
Q1 : If pressed on CHA Services Policy
A1 :
• In some cases, patients are being charged to access medically necessary care when provided by regulated health care professionals, such as nurse practitioners.
• In January 2025, the former Minister of Health introduced the Canada Health Act Services Policy to ensure access to these services remains based on medical need, and not on a patient's ability or willingness to pay.
• When the policy comes into force on April 1, 2026, charges for medically necessary services, whether provided by a physician or other health care professional providing physician-equivalent services, will be considered patient charges under the CHA. Some jurisdictions are already moving toward covering these services and eliminating charges.
Q2 : If pressed on membership fees at private primary care clinics
A2 :
• The Government of Canada does not support a two-tiered health care system where patients may choose, or be required, to pay membership fees to access insured primary care services at clinics, or to gain preferential access to those services.
• These fees are considered patient charges under the Canada Health Act and raise concerns under the accessibility criterion of the Act.
• Whenever Health Canada becomes aware of clinics charging such fees, the Department engages with their provincial or territorial counterparts, and works with them to eliminate these charges.
Q3 : If pressed on Canada health transfer deductions levied to Quebec in March 2025
A3 :
• In January 2025, Quebec acknowledged Health Canada’s calculation of patient charges for medically necessary diagnostic services which occurred in fiscal year 2022-2023, based on data published by Statistics Canada. As such, in March 2025, Health Canada levied a Canada Health Transfer deduction in the same amount.
• To acknowledge continued efforts made by Quebec to improve access to publicly funded diagnostic services, Health Canada made a partial reimbursement of the province’s March 2025, deductions.
• Health Canada continues to work with the province to encourage them to eliminate patient charges for medically necessary services, which would allow the province to be fully reimbursed for this deduction.

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• In March 2025, Health Canada deducted ~$62 million from provincial and territorial Canada Health Transfer payments in respect of patient charges for insured services.
• At the same time, ~$52 million was reimbursed under the Canada Health Act’s Reimbursement Policy to acknowledge provincial and territorial efforts to eliminate those charges.