Trudeau offers premiers $196-billion, 10-year health-care deal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Ottawa will boost federal health-care transfers to the provinces by $196 billion over the next 10 years.

However, about one quarter of that is new, previously unexpected funding.

Trudeau says it will include an immediate and unconditional top-up of $2 billion to the Canada Health Transfer to ease the pressure on hospitals across the country.

The offer was made Tuesday at a meeting in Ottawa with Canada’s premiers.

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The proposal also includes a pledge to increase the annual Canada Health Transfer over the next decade by another $17 billion above previous promises.

Furthermore, $25 billion will be given over 10 years through one-on-one agreements with each province for four priority areas including family medicine, mental health, modernizing data-collection systems, and surgical backlogs.

While those agreements will be flexible, Trudeau says provinces must show plans for how they will spend money and how they will measure progress in those areas.

READ MORE: Trudeau to propose raise in health-care funds to provinces, territories