Question Period Note: Virtual Care

• Virtual care has become an important way for Canadians, including those in rural and remote communities, to get the care they need, when they need it.
• In response to the pandemic, the Government worked with provinces and territories to accelerate uptake and use of virtual care, supported by $200M in funding in 2020.
• Provinces and territories have been using virtual care as part of public health insurance programs to support access to primary care. An example is Nova Scotia’s “VirtualCare NS”, which connects unattached patients virtually with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.
• The historic investments announced in Budget 2023 will enable provinces and territories to modernize the health system through standardized data and digital tools and enhance access to family health services, including through virtual care, in ways that make sense in their respective contexts.

Virtual care is increasingly recognized as an important component of high-quality care and can help support access to family health services, particularly in northern, rural and remote communities. The adoption of virtual care accelerated as a health system response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, in response to the pandemic, the Government collaborated with provinces and territories to accelerate uptake and use of virtual care, supported by $200M in funding in 2020. $150M of this funding was provided to provinces and territories through bilateral agreements to enhance virtual services and $50 million went to Canada Health Infoway to support provinces and territories to implement virtual care.

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