WHEREAS there is concern about the adequacy of current levels of health care funding in British Columbia; AND WHEREAS budget documents show that Regional Health Authorities will see operating budgets drop 100 million from 2003-04 to 2005-06: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities oppose the 100 million cut to Regional Health Authorities operating budgets and call on the provincial government to adequately fund Regional Health Authorities.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH SERVICES The Ministry of Health Services provides health authorities with three-year funding targets, updated annually, to enable them to plan and act with certainty in providing high quality, accessible and sustainable health care services. The 200405 estimates show that the budget for the regional health sector decreased by approximately 98 million from the 200304 restated budget. This reduction is primarily the result of an accounting change, whereby 89 million of capital funding is now provided to health authorities through a different budget prepaid capital advances. Subsequent to the tabling of the 200405 estimates, British Columbia received an additional 148 million from the federal government through the Public Health and Immunization Trust 17 million and the Canada Health and Social Transfer Trust 2 131 million. All of this funding has been added to the Ministry of Health Services budget and an additional 123 million in new base funding has been provided to health authorities.