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Budget blasted on health care

Henry Hall, Lac la Hache resident feels the B.C. Liberal government’s Budget 2012 isn’t doing enough for seniors

Henry Hall, Lac la Hache resident and BC Old Age Pensioners Organization regional director, is among those who feel the B.C. Liberal government’s Budget 2012 isn’t doing enough for seniors.

Finance Minister Kevin Falcon says government will "continue to achieve key health outcomes that lead the country" while it works to reduce the rate of growth in health spending.

Hall says he's concerned about the drop in health-care spending increases because the last annual increase of about six per cent was "not big enough to start with."

Hall adds it "bothers" him that the only increase occurs in the run up to an election year.

"We will be watching to see how the government works out for seniors in retirement, seniors in home care and seniors in long-term care homes, keeping in mind that 2013 is an election year."

Falcon says the increase in the health care budget will bring its total health spending to nearly $17.3 billion by 2014/15.

This will account for just under 38 per cent of all government expenses, according to the budget's expense outlook of $45.1 billion by that fiscal year.

The health spending cuts will be found through an "ongoing focus" on identifying additional best practices for delivering care and finding administrative savings, according to the finance ministry.

According to the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU), these projected increases in health-care spending drop "precipitously" from to 2.9 per cent in 2012/13, 3.7 per cent in 2013/14 and 2.9 per cent in 2014/15.

BCNU president Debra McPherson says the funding increases are not enough to keep up with population growth and inflation.

"The budget provides health authorities no resources to ensure patients are safe as they languish in hospital hallways, or wait at home for limited community-based support or for placement in a long-term care homes."

McPherson notes the recently-released B.C. Ombudsperson's report on the current state of seniors’ care called for extensive improvements, including setting standards for residential care facility staffing and increased direct care and community supports to help keep seniors in their own homes.

Instead, the "extremely tight" health-care budgets will see more cuts to services and staff already insufficient to meet increasing needs of an aging population, she explains.

"This sets the stage for chaos throughout the health-care system and there’s no need for it.

"The government could have supported the needs of patients and seniors with more realistic funding if it wasn’t for this misguided priority to show no deficit when facing the voters next year."

Falcon's budget announcement did not mention seniors specifically in regard to health care, but it does include a new BC Seniors' Home Renovation Tax Credit.

The personal income tax refundable credit of $1,000 is calculated as 10 per cent of eligible expenditures to assist with the cost of permanent home renovations that provide seniors with increased independence.

Meanwhile, Hall says he encourages seniors and others in the province to show up at the polls and make their satisfaction or disappointment with the government actions known through their vote.

The B.C. Ombudsperson's Best of Care report is available online at www.bcombudsperson.ca.

The full 2012 budget and an overview are available at www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2012.