"Mr. Romanow is to be commended for the excellent quality of the report and the extensive consultation process he arranged to engage so many Canadians in this important discussion," said Premier Binns. "His recommendations will be invaluable in guiding our discussions with the federal government at the First Ministers meeting early in the new year."

The Premier commended Mr. Romanow for upholding the principles of the Canada Health Act, and recommending that the system continue to be publicly funded and administered using a single-payer approach. "In doing so, he is reinforcing the values of Canadians who believe that every Canadian should have the same access to health care, regardless of where they live or their ability to pay."

Premier Binns indicated support for the proposal in the report for provisionial special-purpose funding beginning in 2003-2004 and building to permanent base funding by 2005. "All Premiers acknowledge the urgent need to build on the innovations that provinces have made in recent years to expand access to needed services such as home care and provincial drug programs," said the Premier. "However, our first concern is to ensure adequate and stable funding for existing services through a more fair and equitable funding partnership with the federal government. Broadening the range of insured services beyond hospital and physician services requires federal funding, and we are pleased to see that Mr. Romanow has recognized this need."

The report supports the need for innovations in the short term which help to control costs and reduce demand for services over the longer term. "The federal government has a responsibility to provide transition funding for needed innovations, and we are pleased to see that the report proposes targeted funding for initiatives like primary health care which increases access to a broader range of health professionals and helps people to take more responsibility for their health," said the Premier. "Without new resources, it has been extremely difficult for us to reallocate funding from services which diagnose and treat illness, to ones that help people to prevent, reduce and manage them."

Premier Binns indicated he was generally encouraged by the findings of the Commission on the Future of Health Care and particularly by the strength of Mr. Romanow's recommendations, which can lay the foundation for future federal-provincial collaboration in administering a publically funded and publically administered health care system using a single-payer approach. "The Commissioner recognizes the fiscal challenges of the provinces, the fact that the status quo is no longer an option, and that substantial innovation is needed to improve the sustainability of the system."

The priority areas identified in the report for provisional special purpose funding namely home care, catastrophic drug insurance, primary health care, rural and remote access, and electronic health records are very similar to Prince Edward Island's priorities. "Funding to accelerate these initiatives would support our strategic direction which is based on extensive consultation with Islanders," said Premier Binns.

The Premier said the report, which was commissioned by the Prime Minister, will be of great value to Premiers in their discussions with him early in the new year. "We sincerely hope that the recommendations will be the tool to end the long-standing debate over funding and to bring us together on a path towards quality and sustainability."

Copies of the report are available by visiting www.healthcarecommission.ca.