Submission to the BC 2023 Budget Consultation

The BCHC was invited by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services in the BC Legislature to make a presentation regarding the Budget 2023 Consultation. In our presentation and subsequent written submission, we highlighted the following three recommendations for the upcoming annual provincial budget.

The budget next year should:

1. Hold private operators of long-term care homes accountable for the funding they receive and ensure all new capital investments are publicly or not-for profit operated.
2. Improve access to publicly funded home care by eliminating current regulated daily rate co-payments and by addressing the staffing crisis with higher wages and guaranteed hours of work.
3. Address the primary health care access crisis by investing in Community Health Centres that offer comprehensive, longitudinal team based primary health care.

Without incorporating these three recommendations, we believe a 2023 budget will leave British Columbians ill-prepared to address our health needs. For more details, you can view our full submission here.