New directions for facility-based long term care Nouvelle direction pour les soins de longue durée en établissement

Summary: Facility-based long term care is not an insured service under the Canada Health Act. Unlike services currently defined as medically necessary (hospital and physician services) that receive public funding (termed ?first-dollar coverage?), long term care is an ?extended? service, and hence there is no obligation on the part of governments to provide a standard range of services. Consequently, differences exist not only among provinces and territories but also within them. There is variability in access to and provision of long term care services and differences in the application of co-payments and user fees. The delivery of appropriate facility-based long term care services will continue to be a challenge until policy-makers realize its importance to the changing health system and focus on making services more equitable across the country. The Canadian Healthcare Association (CHA) believes that all health services must be adequately funded, effectively organized and appropriately interconnected in order to function optimally, thus providing the appropriate care in the appropriate setting at the appropriate time. Facility-based long term care must be included in the pan-Canadian health planning agenda in order to ensure the principle of access to quality health care for Canadians now and in the future. This Policy Brief highlights the need to achieve the appropriate balance ofhealth services through a variety of means.

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