From today’s National Post:
If you liked this post, or found it useful, please consider making a small donation. Thanks! Share ThisHealth care spending to reach $160 billion: report
Meagan Fitzpatrick CanWest News Service Tuesday, November 13, 2007
OTTAWA — Spending on health care in Canada is expected to reach $160.1 billion by the end of the year, according to the latest data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information.In an annual report on health care spending released Tuesday, CIHI said spending is forecast to increase 6.6 per cent from 2006 [3.2% after taking inflation and population growth into account].
“Health care spending continues to grow faster than our economy. This is the 11th consecutive year in which health care spending is expected to outpace inflation and population growth,” said Graham W. S. Scott, chairman of CIHI’s board of directors, in a news release.
Mr. Scott said the findings may be due in part to public investments in health services from health accords signed between the federal and provincial and territorial governments in recent years.
“For example, we have seen recent government initiatives to increase services in wait times priority areas, investments to attract and retain health providers and an increase in spending on buildings and equipment,” Mr. Scott said.
The CIHI report shows that in 2007 health expenditures are forecast to reach $4,867 per Canadian.
The report also broke down how much is spent publicly and how much is spent privately on health care.Public sector spending is expected to represent close to 71% of total health care spending in Canada in 2007, while private sector spending [including privately insured and out-of-pocket expenses] is projected to be about 29 per cent of the total.
Hospitals make up the largest component of health care spending, followed by drug costs and then physicians.
“This year, however, spending on physicians is expected to grow slightly faster [8.5%] than spending on drugs [7.2%] and hospitals [5.6%],” said CIHI.
Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador are expected to have the highest health care spending per person at $3,696 and $3,637 respectively, CIHI reports, while Quebec and Prince Edward Island are projected to have the lowest [$2,853 and $3,010].
