Health care to cost $148B in 2006: report : National : News : Sympatico / MSN

so are we getting any valie for the money spent? QC

Health care to cost $148B in 2006: report : National : News : Sympatico / MSN: "Health care to cost $148B in 2006: report
05/12/2006 12:27:47 PM



Canadians will spend an estimated $148 billion for health care by the end of 2006, new projections from the Canadian Institute for Health Information show - an increase of $8 billion over last year.


CBC News
But while health-care spending continues to grow in Canada, the pace of that growth appears to be slowing, according to CIHI's annual report on health care spending trends released Tuesday.
The increase this year over 2005 is about 5.8 per cent. Spending grew about 6.4 per cent from 2004 to 2005, and averaged a 7.8 per cent yearly increase from 2000 to 2004.
'For the 10th consecutive year, health care spending continues to outpace inflation and population growth,' said Graham Scott, CIHI chairman, in a release.
Scott suggested the period of growth could be attributed in part to new public money flowing into heath care from agreements between the federal and provincial governments, but noted spending 'now appears to be growing at a slightly slower rate.'
However, spending in the private sector is growing faster in 2006 than it has for three years, the report suggests, increasing by 6.1 per cent to $44 billion. The $104 billion being spent in the public sphere is an increase of 5.3 per cent.
Per capita health care spending is expected to reach $4,548 - a 4.9 per cent increase over 2005.
Health care spending was highest for infants and seniors, consistent with a trend in which 'the beginning and final years of life are the times when people use health care the most"