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Canada Dental Care Plan working but costing more than expected: auditor general
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-29 14:50:35.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Affordability, Finance, Social Services]A report by Auditor General Karen Hogan found that Health Canada's Canadian Dental Care Plan exceeded its initial budget commitments by $1.1 billion during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 fiscal years, with an anticipated further shortfall of $2.4 billion by 2032 due to higher-than-anticipated claim payments per member. While the program successfully reduced average household out-of-pocket dental expenses from $536 in 2023 to $264 for users, the audit revealed persistent public confusion, with 560,000 members (16 per cent of those accessing services in 2025) receiving full coverage, while dental providers spent roughly an hour a day addressing coverage ambiguities and call centres struggled to meet quality metrics. In response, Health Canada engaged the Office of the Chief Actuary to provide quarterly actuarial forecasts to improve claim payment projections and financial planning.
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P.E.I.'s mobile mental health program extended for another year
Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-27 21:00:51.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Healthcare, Social Services, Finance]The federal and provincial governments have renewed funding for Prince Edward Island's mobile mental health program, extending the initiative through March 31, 2028. The program, operationally managed by Medavie Health Services, allows Islanders experiencing a mental health crisis to call and receive care from specialized professionals or dispatched mobile teams. Earlier in the year, provincial Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle noted that Ottawa was cutting over $29 million in health-care funding to P.E.I., which included $2.6 million for mobile mental health units and student well-being teams previously slated to end in March 2027. CUPE Local 3324 president Jason Woodbury praised the extension, noting the service helps reduce wait times for ground ambulances and emergency rooms.
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Quebec's new PQ premier unveils smaller cabinet as minority government prepares to govern
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-21 16:45:26.0
Tags: [Quebec, Governance, Education, Healthcare, Finance, Justice]Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon has unveiled a new minority government cabinet consisting of 23 ministers, down from the previous Coalition Avenir Québec government's 29. Notable appointments include Nicolas Marceau as finance minister, Marie-Karlynn Laflamme as health minister, Joël Arseneau as national education minister, Marie-Claude Sarrazin as justice minister, and Pascal Bérubé as culture minister. The swearing-in ceremony marked a historic departure by taking place without the lieutenant-governor presiding in person at St-Pierre Plamondon's request.
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What to know about Quebec's new cabinet ahead of swearing-in ceremony
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-21 10:40:12.0
Tags: [Quebec, Governance, Healthcare, Education, Finance, Immigration]Premier-designate Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's minority Parti Québécois government, holding 59 out of 127 seats, is unveiling a 22-minister cabinet during a swearing-in ceremony at the National Assembly. Key appointments include Marie-Karlynn Laflamme as Minister of Health, Prevention and Seniors tasked with abolishing Santé Québec, Joël Arseneau as Minister of Education, Nicolas Marceau as Minister of Finance, and Catherine Gentilcore as Immigration Minister. Other key portfolios include Alain Therrien as Treasury Board President, Stéphane Paquet for Economy and Energy, Nicolas Girard for Transportation and Sustainable Mobility, Guy Lapointe Jr. for Internal Security, Marie-Claude Sarrazin as Justice Minister, and Anne Nguyen for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs. Additionally, the ceremony faces a historic constitutional challenge as the lieutenant-governor will not preside over it following a provincial law that abolished the requirement to pledge allegiance to the King.
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How does P.E.I. decide which drugs to cover? It’s more complicated than you might think
Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-10 09:00:00.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, National, Healthcare, Affordability, Finance]The federal government has renewed the Improving Affordable Access to Prescription Drugs program (IAAPD) for Prince Edward Island with $32 million in funding over three years. The program, which launched as a pilot in 2021, has helped add more than 100 medications to P.E.I.'s public formulary and lowered patient co-payments to $5 for many eligible drugs. In addition to the IAAPD, P.E.I. participates in the federal pharmacare program covering specific diabetes medications, supplies, and contraceptives. The multi-step drug coverage process involves Health Canada authorization, price reviews by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, cost-effectiveness evaluations by Canada's Drug Agency, collective price bargaining by the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, and final provincial formulary decisions.
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Ontario Clarifies Longstanding Out-of-Country Drug Funding Process
Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
Date: 2026-10-06 21:00:00.0
Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Affordability, Governance, Finance]The Government of Ontario has amended Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act to align with its longstanding out-of-country drug funding policy, restricting out-of-country funding to treatments where the drug and administration are publicly funded in Ontario, temporarily unavailable locally, and necessary to prevent death or irreversible tissue damage. According to the Ministry of Health led by Minister Sylvia Jones, the regulatory clarification aims to prevent global pharmaceutical companies from bypassing direct price negotiations with the province and avoids potential health-care system cost increases of up to $5.2 billion annually alongside $170 million in out-of-country treatment requests. This follows a recent Ontario Divisional Court decision concerning out-of-country drug funding, which the government is evaluating alongside options such as an appeal or a negotiated resolution with the applicant.
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P.E.I.'s deficit nearly double the amount projected in budget, audited financial statements show
Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-10-02 20:00:25.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Healthcare, Agriculture, Economy]The Prince Edward Island government released its audited financial statements showing a fiscal year 2025-26 deficit of $355.5 million, nearly double the initial budget projection of $183.9 million. The higher deficit was driven by significant over-budget expenditures, including $127.1 million extra spent on health care and $64.1 million over budget in the Department of Agriculture primarily due to crop insurance claims for potatoes and soybeans following drought conditions. Consequently, the province's net debt reached $3.7 billion as of March 31, 2026, translating to roughly $20,224 per resident, while provincial tax revenues remained closely aligned with the original budget within a 0.3 per cent margin.
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Ottawa must renew mental health and home care funding, health ministers say
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-02 12:23:46.0
Tags: [National, Manitoba, Healthcare, Social Services, Seniors, Finance]Provincial and territorial health ministers from across Canada are raising concerns over the impending expiration of $1.2 billion in dedicated federal funding agreements for mental health, addictions, and home care set to sunset in March 2027. The funding stems from a broader $200 billion 10-year health care funding pledge made in the 2023 federal budget, which included $4.8 billion targeted specifically for home care, community care, and mental health services over four years. Officials, including Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Canadian Mental Health Association president Marion Cooper, warn that failing to renew these targeted agreements will result in a fiscal cliff, leading to reduced community services and job losses in the health sector.
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Provincial Government Delivers on Commitment to Strengthen Hospice Care in Central Newfoundland
Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-09-29 15:30:40.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Healthcare, Social Services, Seniors, Finance]The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced an additional $400,000 investment in Budget 2026 for the Lionel Kelland Hospice in Grand Falls-Windsor, bringing total provincial funding to $2.7 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The funding builds upon an existing annual baseline allocation of $2.3 million to support specialized, around-the-clock end-of-life care, pain management, bereavement programs, and family support services. Operated in partnership with NL Health Services, the facility aims to provide community-based hospice care and relieve operational pressure on regional hospital resources.
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Health, higher fuel costs drive $440.4M deficit forecast in P.E.I.'s fiscal and economic update
Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-28 22:25:02.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Finance, Healthcare, Economy, Affordability]The Government of Prince Edward Island, led by Finance and Affordability Minister Jill Burridge, released its first-quarter fiscal and economic update for 2026-27, projecting a deficit of $440.4 million. This represents a $30.5 million increase from the operating budget tabled in April, driven by an additional $53.4 million in spending primarily directed toward healthcare, social program funding, and higher diesel and heating fuel costs. Despite the increased deficit and spending pressures, the province reported improving economic indicators, including a 7.1 per cent year-to-date growth in labour income and retail sales, alongside a 24.6 per cent increase in housing starts.
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As federal budget nears, Canada’s health ministers to meet to talk funding
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-09-28 22:20:24.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Healthcare, Finance]Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial health ministers are convening for an emergency meeting ahead of the upcoming federal budget to address concerns over the upcoming expiration of targeted healthcare funding. Provincial leaders, including Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, warn of a fiscal cliff as bilateral agreements for home care, community care, and mental health and addiction services—part of the 2023 federal funding package totaling $200 billion over 10 years, which included $4.8 billion for home and community care and mental health, $3 billion for long-term care safety, and $1.7 billion for personal support worker wages—are set to sunset between 2026 and 2028. Additionally, the federal government's Canada Health Transfer growth rate is scheduled to drop from a guaranteed minimum of five percent annually to three percent after fiscal year 2027-28.
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Health spending helped push New Brunswick deficit to record $1.3B in last fiscal year
Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-25 13:46:00.0
Tags: [New Brunswick, Finance, Healthcare, Social Services, Economy, Taxation]The Government of New Brunswick announced a record deficit of $1.3 billion for the previous fiscal year, more than double the $549-million shortfall projected in the March 2025 budget by the Liberal government. Provincial revenues fell short by nearly $217 million due to lower harmonized sales taxes and reduced corporate and personal income taxes. Conversely, expenses exceeded expectations by almost $538 million, primarily driven by increased spending on healthcare and social development. Finance Minister René Legacy noted that the province closed the fiscal year with a net debt of $13.9 billion while facing ongoing cost pressures and potential U.S. trade tariffs.
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Alberta advances $2.4 million for gambling addiction treatment
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-24 19:05:11.0
Tags: [Alberta, Healthcare, Social Services, Finance, Governance]The Government of Alberta has advanced a $2.4 million grant to the Brick House Recovery Centre, which operates facilities in Edmonton and Calgary and provides virtual support across the province, to enhance treatment and recovery programs for problem gamblers. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally stated that this funding serves as an advance ahead of revenues collected from the province's newly regulated iGaming market, which launched in mid-July. The province allocates one percent of its regulated iGaming revenues—projected at $76 million for its first year across 31 approved sites—toward addiction treatment, with the 1 percent threshold subject to future reviews as the market grows.
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Provincial Government Advances Planning for the Future of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital
Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
Date: 2026-09-18 17:30:02.0
Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Healthcare, Infrastructure, Finance]The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Department of Health and Community Services, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) via MERX for a multidisciplinary consulting team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of St. Clare's Mercy Hospital. The work includes a facility condition assessment, accessibility review, environmental and hazardous materials investigations, and an expansion feasibility study to support long-term healthcare infrastructure planning on the Northeast Avalon. This initiative follows the provincial government's announcement in January 2026 to begin planning the redevelopment of St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, supported by Budget 2026's $5.4 billion investment which includes an additional $370 million for health care.
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N.S. premier invites the public to build and submit their own provincial budgets
Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
Date: 2026-09-11 17:17:45.0
Tags: [Nova Scotia, Finance, Governance, Healthcare]Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston and Public Service Commission Minister Twila Grosse launched a new public budget consultation process allowing Nova Scotians to build and submit their own provincial budget versions via a dedicated website. The interactive tool prohibits users from raising taxes and fees, increasing the deficit, or cutting funding from the Health and Wellness Department, but permits a five per cent increase or decrease to all other departmental budgets and individual program funding. Provincial officials will host online and in-person public meetings across Nova Scotia, after which an independent committee will review submissions and present a report to the finance minister for consideration in the next fiscal plan.
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Critics question $31M in extra spending for P.E.I. health care
Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-01 22:15:46.0
Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Healthcare, Governance, Labour, Finance]The Prince Edward Island government approved nearly $31 million in extra spending for Health P.E.I. through a cabinet special warrant without a legislative debate, drawing criticism from opposition parties over transparency. The funding breakdown includes $12.9 million for hospital overcapacity, overtime, and travel nurses, $12.25 million for collective bargaining wage increases, and $5.76 million for medical supplies, out-of-province care, and increased MRI services. Opposition health critics Gordon McNeilly (Liberal) and Tayte Willows (Green) are demanding a comprehensive long-term health care plan and a full financial breakdown from Health and Wellness Minister Cory Deagle.
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NTHSSA reports first budget surplus in 10 years, largely due to staffing vacancies
Source: Territories - Northern Affairs (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)
Date: 2026-08-28 12:38:57.0
Tags: [National, Healthcare, Finance, Social Services]The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) reported its first budget surplus in 10 years, recording a $4.7 million operating surplus for the 2025/26 fiscal year due to persistent staffing vacancies and one-time federal funding. This surplus reduced the organization's accumulated deficit from $300.8 million down to $296.1 million. The fiscal result was driven by $30 million in additional funding from the Government of the Northwest Territories, $23 million in medical travel recoveries, and federal allotments, even as medical travel costs increased by $21 million. Chief Executive Officer Kim Riles noted that while vacancies contributed to the financial surplus, they drive up costs elsewhere through reliance on casuals, agency staff, and overtime.
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