Defend Public Healthcare

In the lead up to the Ontario provincial Budget, it's useful to flag just how unreliable they have become as a guide to public spending and provincial deficits in recent years under the Ford government.  The government has shown a significant ability to increase funding for public programs and health care programs if the public demands it. The Public Accounts report that total provincial government program expenses for 2024-25 increased by $16.9 billion or 8.7 per cent over the previous fiscal year. That is an increase from $195.2 billion in the previous fiscal year to $212.1 billion in 2024/25. Furthermore, the actual 2024/25 spend was $11.5 billion more than the 2024/25 Budget plan.  The Budget was a very unreliable indicator of actual program spending. A similar scenario played out in health sector funding.  It increased by $6.2 billion or 7.2 per cent over the previous fiscal year. The total health sector spend was also $6.7 billion more than the Budget plan. ...

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reports that total expenditures on Ontario hospitals increased to $23.7 billion in 2016. This is an increase of 2.4% since 2015 and 6.1% since the 2012. While provincial government expenditures increased 4.7% over the four years between 2012 and 2016, private sector expenditures on hospitals increased at a much faster rate -- 15.8% .  That is more than three times the percentage increase of the provincial government increases.  Private sector expenditures increased $124.9 million in 2016 to $3.62 billion.  That was a typical increase. The four year private sector increase was $493.1 million, averaging $123.3 million per year.   That's  a lot more than chump change. Key types of private sector payments to hospitals are payments by private insurance companies and out-of pocket payments by individuals.  Hospitals are now relying significantly more on private sector funds.  In 2012 private...