From time to time there are rumors that EMS (ambulance services) and municipal public health services may move over to the tender mercies of the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), which fund hospitals, home care, long term care, and other health services. Fortunately-- for these services -- that has not happened yet. The government is starving the LHINs. According to the recently released Budget Estimates , the LHINs are going to get $300 million less than what they got two years ago. In contrast, public health services (provided by municipalities but funded to a considerable extent by the province) are budgeted to get about a 6.4% increase from the provincial coffers this year. Over the last two years the increase is 12.2%. Not too bad. "Emergency Health Services" (aka EMS) are also largely provided by municipalities but funded almost 50% by the province. And EMS has also done okay, with a 3.8% increase this yea...
Notes from Leftwords -- Doug Allan