'We need those dollars brought back to the provinces': Sask. health minister looking for federal help

Saskatchewan Health Minister Paul Merriman is hoping the federal government can provide some relief for the province's overburdened healthcare system in the new year.

As part of an ongoing dispute, premiers across the country are asking Ottawa to cover 35 per cent of healthcare costs across the country, up from the current 22 per cent, via the Canada Health Transfer.

"I look forward to sitting down with them when there is an outline of a deal. Right now, they want all this money with no accountability or clear results," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a recent interview with CTV News.

While Trudeau would like to see some assurances of changes within provincial healthcare systems before any money is promised, Merriman wasn't willing to entertain

"If the federal government doesn't think that money would help, then I guess the question would be, 'What would help?' because it costs us money to run our healthcare system," Merriman said. "It costs us money to hire doctors. It costs us money to build capital projects. We need those dollars brought back to the provinces."

Provincial health ministers presented the same demand to federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos last month. Those talks ended without a deal, and Duclos said provinces did not want any conditions for the money.

"We were in total agreement in Vancouver in private," Duclos said. "The problem is that the premiers don't want us to speak about those outcomes and those results."

Merriman said the Ministry of Health is currently working with what he called "a primary health-care working team" made up of the Saskatchewan Medical Association, the Saskatchewan Cancer Centre and the Saskatchewan Health Authority to see if changes can be made for how doctors are compensated moving forward.

In B.C., a new model is being launched early in the new year, which will allow doctors to stop participating in the fee-for-service system currently used in Saskatchewan.

Under the system, doctors are paid per patient visit, whether a common cold or a complex chronic health problem is being treated.

Doctors working in the province say the new model would alleviate the overburdened primary care portion of the system while also reducing wait times.

Merriman said there's a balance to strike as more professionals of various types are needed.

"We're looking at also physician assistants to be able to complement and take that pressure off of primary healthcare," Merriman said. "But we do recognize there are some issues there."

With both the provincial and federal governments digging in on the disagreement, Saskatchewan's healthcare system could be in for more challenges in 2023 unless either party is willing to make concessions.

"This doesn't happen too often when every province in the country is asking for the same thing -- to have a sit down in January with the Prime Minister to be able to discuss this," Merriman said.