Agreements will increase wages for home support workers, and improve access to and affordability of drugs for rare diseases

Canadians deserve a health care system that provides timely access to quality health services and medications, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay. The Government of Canada recognizes that concerted and collaborative efforts by federal, provincial, and territorial governments are needed to improve health care for Canadians, including through better support for health workers and ensuring access to medications for all.

Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Canada's Minister of Health, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and the Honourable John Hogan, K.C., Newfoundland and Labrador's Minister of Health and Community Services announced over $47 million in federal investments as part of two bilateral agreements to support the health of people in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The first bilateral agreement is an amendment to the Aging with Dignity Agreement, announced in May 2024, the Government of Canada will provide more than $25 million in new funding over the next five years that will contribute to the support of Home Support Workers (HSWs). Through this agreement, Newfoundland and Labrador will provide an increase in wages for 6,000 agency-based HSWs, who assist clients with daily living, providing personal, behavioural, and household support to help them maintain independence and age safely at home. Newfoundland and Labrador is the first province or territory to announce increases to wages for these workers.

In addition, through the Agreement to support drugs for rare diseases the Government of Canada will provide $22 million over 3 years to improve access to drugs for rare diseases, early diagnosis, and screening, starting with the funding to support the province in providing access of two drugs under the National Strategy for Rare Diseases. These drugs, namely:

• Poteligeo, for the treatment of mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome; and,
• Oxlumo, for the treatment of hyperoxaluria type 1 will be made available to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In Canada, 1 in 12 people live with a rare disease. While there are thousands of rare diseases, unfortunately treatments are only available for a small percentage of these conditions. And, for most people suffering, the cost of these treatments puts them out of reach.

The names of other drugs on the common list will be published online on a drug-by-drug basis following the conclusion of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance price negotiations for each drug. In addition, Newfoundland and Labrador is committing through this agreement to work with Canada and other provinces and territories on developing and implementing a plan for improving screening and diagnostics for rare diseases.

The Government of Canada remains committed to working with provinces and territories to improve health care for all Canadians. This includes improving the recruitment and retention of HSWs, and access to affordable prescription medications. These efforts will strengthen our health care workforce and safeguard the quality of care for vulnerable populations, promoting a more resilient and equitable health care system for all Canadians.

Quick facts

• Budget 2023 outlined the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan, through which the Government of Canada is investing close to $200 billion over 10 years, including $46.2 billion in new funding for provinces and territories, to improve health care for Canadians. Within this funding, $25 billion is allocated through new tailored bilateral agreements to address the unique needs of their populations and geography in four shared health priorities:
  • expanding access to family health services, including in rural and remote areas;
  • supporting health workers and reducing backlogs;
  • increasing mental health and substance use support; and,
  • modernizing health care systems with health data and digital tools.
• Over the 10-year period (2023-24 to 2032-33), the Government of Canada will invest approximately $805 million in federal funding to help improve health care for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, which includes $32 million that was committed to mental health and substance use from the 2017 Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities.
• The Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians plan also outlined an investment of $1.709 billion over five years to increase the wages of Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and related professions and support other recruitment and retention measures for PSWs.
• This funding will be accessible to provinces and territories through an amendment to their Aging with Dignity agreements and will extend their agreement by one year (until 2028-29). Newfoundland and Labrador's PSW amendment has been added to their Aging with Dignity Agreement and Action Plan.
• The Aging with Dignity agreements also include $2.4 billion ($600 million per year for fiscal years 2023-24 to 2026-27) over four years to improve access to home and community care from Budget 2017; and $3 billion ($600 million per year for fiscal years 2023-24 to 2027-28) over five years for long-term care from Budget 2021 to apply standards of care in long-term care facilities and help support workforce stability.
• The Aging with Dignity Action Plan outlines how the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will invest federal funding for the 5-year period. This will provide a federal investment in the amount of approximately $78 million for years 2023-24 to 2027-28 for the Province.
• PTs can tailor the amendment to address the unique needs of their populations and geography. Where wages are relatively high or have been significantly increased in recent years, PTs can use federal funds to also advance other non-wage recruitment and retention measures.
• To support family health services, health workforce and backlogs, mental health and substance use, and modernized health data systems, Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador also signed a three-year Working Together Agreement and Action Plan, announced on March 25, 2024.
• In March 2023, the Government of Canada announced an investment of up to $1.5 billion over three years to support the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, including up to $1.4 billion for bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to help patients with rare diseases have access to treatments as early as possible, for better quality of life.
• Innovative treatments for rare diseases can cost anywhere from $100,000 to more than $4 million per year.