Question Period Note: Quebec Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addictions Services Bilateral Agreement

N/A

• On November 21, 2022, the Government of Canada announced approximately $268 million to support home and community care, and mental health and addictions services in Québec in fiscal year 2022-23.
KEY MESSAGES
• The Government of Canada is committed to working with provinces and territories to strengthen Canada’s health care system.
• Budget 2017 committed $11 billion over 10 years in federal funding to help provinces and territories improve access to home and community care, and mental health and addictions services for Canadians.
• On November 21, 2022, the Government announced the signing of an agreement with Quebec, which will provide $268 million in 2022-23 to continue to improve access to these services.
IF PRESSED ON HOW QUEBEC WILL USE THESE FUNDS …
• The Canada-Quebec agreement builds on progress achieved through the first five years of the federal investment.
• This funding will support Quebec to enhance programs and deliver on its priorities, such as:
o Expanding access to home care services by increasing the quantity and quality of professional care in areas such as nursing, nutrition, physiotherapy and psychosocial services;
o Enhancing access to psychologists for youth (ages 0-18) and community crisis services, as well as consolidating first psychotic episode services for young people aged 12 to 35.
IF PRESSED ON OTHER HEALTH CARE FUNDING SUPPORT FOR QUEBEC…
• Through the Budget 2017 10-year commitment, Quebec can access $2.5 billion over 10 years to support home and community care and mental health and addiction services.
• This is in addition to the Canada Health Transfer, which will flow over $10.1 billion to Quebec in 2022-23.
• Our Government is committed to ensuring it is there to meet the needs of the people of Quebec, and continues to work with all provinces and territories to strengthen public health care.

Shared Health Priorities and Bilateral Agreements:
On March 22, 2017, Budget 2017 committed to $11 billion over 10 years to improve access to home care and mental health services.

In August 2017, all PTs (except Quebec) agreed to a Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities, which sets out priorities for action in home and community care, and mental health and addiction services. On March 10, 2017, the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec agreed to an asymmetrical arrangement distinct from this Common Statement of Principles and based on the asymmetrical agreements of September 2004.

The Common Statement also includes a commitment for PT governments to work with the Canadian Institute for Health Information on a set of common indicators in these areas, to continue collaborating to advance work in health innovation and prescription drugs, and to engage with Indigenous leaders to improve health outcomes for Indigenous peoples. At the June 2018 Health Ministers’ meeting, Health Ministers (except Quebec) endorsed a set of common indicators, developed by CIHI and FPT governments, to measure and report progress to Canadians on shared priorities. The asymmetrical agreement with Quebec recognizes that the Government of Quebec itself will continue to report to the Quebec population on the use of all the funding for health.

The funding is allocated to PTs on a per capita basis.

The first year of funding (2017-18) flowed to PTs based on their acceptance of the federal funding offer, as outlined in the Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 1. Bilateral agreements detailing how federal investment between 2017-18 and 2021-22 would help improve access to home and community care and mental health and addiction services were negotiated with all provinces and territories and posted to the Government of Canada’s website.

Agreements for the first five years, which expired March 31, 2022, and one-year extensions of the agreements are being implemented for 2022-23. New agreements will be required for provinces and territories to access the remaining four years of this funding (2022-23 to 2026-27).

• Budget 2017 committed $11 billion over 10 years in federal funding to help provinces and territories improve access to home and community care, and mental health and addictions services for Canadians.
• In the area of home and community care, these federal investments support initiatives that:
o better coordinate and integrate care,
o enhance digital connectivity and the use of remote technology so patients can get care at home,
o provide caregivers with more education supports and expanded respite services, and
o improve access to palliative and end-of-life supports.
• In the area of mental health and addiction services, these federal investments support initiatives that:
o increase the availability of mental health and addiction services in the community,
o improve access to school-based programs for early prevention, detection and treatment, and
o expand access to crisis intervention services and integrated multidisciplinary professional services.
• The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec agreed to an asymmetrical arrangement concerning the federal investment for these priorities in 2017.