Key Issues in Healthcare Funding
Canadians value high quality healthcare. With about 11% of the country’s GDP going to healthcare spending, it is important that this money is allocated in ways that best meet the needs of Canadians, and provides the best quality of care.
We explore several key funding issues that are important to understanding of Canadian healthcare funding:
- Current Funding Model: the most common funding model in Canada is global budget, where a fixed sum is allocated to a provider, irrespective of quality of care or quantity of patients treated.
- Activity-Based Funding (ABF): a funding method where providers are allocated funds based on the type and volume of services they provide, and the complexity of the patient population they serve.
- Bundled Payments: a recently-developed, alternative funding method in which a single payment is used to fund all of the care related to a condition or medical event within a fixed time period, spanning providers and locations.
- Integrated Funding Models: increasing integration between siloed health sectors (e.g. primary care, acute care, mental health, pharmaceuticals) is a goal of many health systems, including Canada, and may be facilitated though integrated funding models.
- Hospital Quality: high-quality care important to both patients and policy-makers and refers to the degree to which health care services increase desired health outcomes and are consistent with evidence-based medicine.
Please explore these key issues from the drop down menu or by clicking an issue listed above. Each page includes a short overview, an in-depth downloadable policy brief, our publications and a list of recommended readings on the topic.