Interim Accountability Agreements Backgrounder
Ontario Hospital Association
200 Front Street West, Suite 2800
Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3L1
Tel: (416) 205-1345 Fax: (416) 205-1360
Visit our Web Site: http://www.oha.com
Friday, September 3, 2004
Under the Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act, 2004, hospitals are required to sign an interim accountability agreement in order to receive their funding allocations as announced on July 26, 2004 by the government of Ontario.
The interim agreement explicitly states hospitals must balance their budgets by 2005-06, despite a $600 million funding shortfall faced by hospitals this year and despite not knowing 2005-06 hospital funding allocations or labour costs.
For the first time ever, the interim agreement will establish a list of protected hospital services, which is limited to:
- Cataract surgeries
- Those services performed under agreement with Cancer Care Ontario
- Selected cardiac services
- Mental health program
- Dialysis services
- Organ and Tissue Donation and Organ Transplantation
- Hip & Knee total joint replacements
- Provincial Regional Genetics Program
- Cleft Lip & Palate Craniofacial Dental Services
- Acquired Brain Injury Services
- Trauma
- Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centres
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Cochlear Implants
- Regional Geriatrics Program
As a result all other hospital services are in jeopardy of de-listing. Below is a partial list of services at risk:
- Arthritis clinics
- Chemotherapy clinics
- Children’s beds – acute & rehabilitation
- Complex care beds
- Day surgery
- Diabetes clinics
- Ears, nose and throat clinics
- Emergency room services
- General surgery beds
- General surgery clinics
- Gynaecology services
- Neo natal intensive care
- Obstetrical beds
- Pain clinics
- Palliative care beds
- Physiotherapy services
- Radiology services
- Rehabilitation beds
- Surgical beds
- Ultra sound services
- Urgent and emergent clinics
-30-
For further information:
Stefan Baranski, OHA Public Affairs
416-205-1305