Federal/Provincial Share of Health Care
Repeated provincial claims that the federal share of health care spending is 16 cents, down from 50 cents in the 1960s, are false. Provincial claim: The federal share of health care spending is 16 cents on the dollar. To arrive at this figure, provinces divide the combined cash portions of the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST), as well as the Health Reform Transfer (HRT), by all of their social spending, not just their health care spending - they also include social services and primary, secondary and post-secondary education in their calculation. **************************** 1. Together, the Canada Health Transfer, Health Reform Transfer and Diagnostic/Medical Equipment Fund, as well as funding for public health and immunization, make up a federal contribution of about $27.2 billion, or an average of 33% of provincial health spending. 2. When an amount of equalization payments corresponding to the amount of total program spending that provinces allocate
