A new study finds Canadian provinces that don't receive equalization payments tend to have lower per-capita health care spending. The study uses 2021-2022 data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) to identify the provinces with the highest hospital spending costs.Northwest Territories ranks as the jurisdiction with the highest healthcare spending, allocating around $237.2 million annually. This translates to a per capita spending of $5,299, based on its population of 44,760.In second place is Newfoundland and Labrador, with annual healthcare spending of approximately $1.46 billion. This amounts to a per capita cost of $2,697 when considering its population of 540,418. Newfoundland pays into equalization but also has the highest average age in Canada of 45.4, as of July 1, 2022, and the highest median age of 48.0 years. Health care costs tend to rise as a person ages.Nova Scotia is placed third in the hospital spending analysis, spending around $2.82 billion per year, translating to $2,646 per capita for its population of 1,066,416. The average Nova Scotian is 44.0 years old. The province received $2.3 billion in interprovincial equalization payments from Ottawa in 2021-22.Manitoba, the fifth most populous province in Canada, ranks fourth on the list with a total healthcare expenditure of $3.45 billion. This equates to $2,356 per person, based on its population of 1,465,440 at an average age of 39.3. The province received $2.7 billion in equalization in 2021-22.New Brunswick ranks fifth, with an annual healthcare expenditure of approximately $1.97 billion. This amounts to $2,347 per capita for its population of 842,725. The province received $2.2 billion in equalization in 2021-22.Yukon, the smallest Canadian territory, ranks sixth with annual spending of $99.2 million. This amounts to $2,197 per person, given its population of 45,148.In seventh place is Saskatchewan, with annual healthcare spending of $2.58 billion. This amounts to a per capita cost of $2,116 for its population of 1,218,976. Saskatchewan has an average age of 39.6 and does not receive equalization.Ranking eighth on the list is Prince Edward Island, with a spending cost of around $342.2 million, translating to $1,945 per person, with an average age of 42.7. It received $484 million in equalization in 2021-22.Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, ranks ninth with a total annual spending cost of $30.18 billion and $1,910 per capita among 15,801,768 people with an average age of 41.5 years. Ontario did not receive equalization from fiscal years 2019 to 2023, which overlaps the time frame of the study, but received $421 million in 2023-24 and will get $576 million in 2024-25.In tenth place is Alberta, with annual healthcare spending of approximately 8.97 billion. This amounts to a per capita cost of $2,116 for each of its 4,756,408 people. Alberta has the youngest average provincial age in Canada at 38.8 years and does not receive equalization payments.Finally, British Columbia, takes eleventh place with an annual spending of $10.31 billion. This results in a per capita cost of $1,848 for each of its 5,581,127 people. BC does not receive equalization payments. .The study did not have statistics from Quebec or Nunavut. It was made by Preszler Injury Lawyers who represent personal injury clients in Alberta, with equalization and age stats added by Western Standard. In the study, the firm noted "a broad variation" among provinces and territories, reflecting "different financial approaches and goals."“Prince Edward Island established Health PEI, a publicly funded 'One Island Health System' that provides comprehensive healthcare services to islanders. In contrast, other provinces like New Brunswick have created the New Brunswick Health Council, which assists residents in accessing primary care," the authors noted.“It additionally emphasises how population density and specific regional factors influence healthcare spending, underscoring the importance of tailored approaches to meet the particular needs of each location.”More health care data is available from the Canadian Institute for Health Information | CIHI, while the authors can be reached at https://www.preszlerlawalberta.com/.
