Some highlights:
Dental Care for Canadians
A third of Canadians do not have dental insurance, and in 2018, more than one in five Canadians reported avoiding dental care because of the cost.Budget 2022 proposes to provide funding of $5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.7 billion ongoing, to Health Canada to provide dental care for Canadians.
Reducing the Backlogs of Surgeries and Procedures
As hospitals did everything they could to respond to surges in COVID-19 cases, Health Canada estimates that nearly 700,000 medical procedures were cancelled or delayed. On March 25, 2022, the federal government announced its intention to provide provinces and territories with an additional $2 billion through a top-up to the Canada Health Transfer to address these backlogs.
Increasing Loan Forgiveness for Doctors and Nurses in Rural and Remote Communities
In part due to a shortage of doctors and nurses, far too many rural communities still lack the primary health care they need. As one means of addressing this shortage, the federal government provides student loan forgiveness to doctors and nurses who work in underserved rural or remote communities, including in the North. In 2019-20, nearly 5,500 doctors and nurses benefited from the loan forgiveness program.
Supporting Mental Health and Well-Being
To help ensure that everyone can receive the care they need, the federal government will invest in identifying and expanding effective mental health interventions. The government also intends to engage with provinces and territories to inform the development of a new Canada Mental Health Transfer that will support the expansion and delivery of high quality and accessible mental health services across Canada.
Addressing the Opioid Crisis
Budget 2022 proposes to provide $100 million over three years, starting in 2022-23 to Health Canada for the Substance Use and Addictions Program to support harm reduction, treatment, and prevention at the community level.
Researching the Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19
COVID-19 is still a new disease. Scientists and researchers have come a long way in their understanding of how to treat and prevent it, but we still need to better understand its long-term impacts on many Canadians and our health care system.
- Budget 2022 proposes to provide $20 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support additional research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 infections on Canadians, as well as the wider impacts of COVID-19 on health and health care systems.
