Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-8)

PART V.1Canada Health Transfer, Canada Social Transfer and Wait Times Reduction Transfer

Canada Health Transfer

Marginal note:Purposes

24 Subject to this Part and for the purpose of giving effect to the 2003 First Ministers’ Accord on Health Care Renewal and the 2004 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care, a Canada Health Transfer in the amounts referred to in subsection 24.1(1) is to be provided to the provinces for the purposes of

• (a) maintaining the national criteria and conditions in the Canada Health Act, including those respecting public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility, and the provisions relating to extra-billing and user charges; and

• (b) contributing to providing the best possible health care system for Canadians and to making information about the health care system available to Canadians.

Marginal note:Amount

• 24.1 (1) The Canada Health Transfer is to consist of

  • (a) a cash contribution equal to

    • (i) $12.65 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2004,

    • (ii) $1 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2004,

    • (iii) $19 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2005,

    • (iv) the product obtained by multiplying the cash contribution for the immediately preceding year by 1.06, rounded to the nearest thousand, for each fiscal year in the period beginning on April 1, 2006 and ending on March 31, 2017,

    • (v) for each fiscal year beginning after March 31, 2017, the product, rounded to the nearest thousand, obtained by multiplying the cash contribution determined under this subparagraph for the immediately preceding fiscal year by the greater of 1.03 and the amount determined by the formula

      (1 + A)

      where

      A

      is the average of the annual rates of growth of the nominal gross domestic product of Canada for the calendar year that ends during the fiscal year in question and for the two previous calendar years, as determined by the Minister not later than three months before the beginning of that fiscal year,

    • (vi) for each fiscal year in the period beginning on April 1, 2024, and ending on March 31, 2028, in respect of a qualifying province, the product, rounded to the nearest thousand, that is greater than zero, or zero in any other case, determined by the formula

      (1.05 × (A + B)) − C

      where

      A

      is the cash contribution determined under subparagraph (v) for the immediately preceding fiscal year,

      B

      is the cash contribution determined under this subparagraph, if any, for the immediately preceding fiscal year, and

      C

      is the cash contribution determined under subparagraph (v) for the current fiscal year,

    • (vii) for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2028, in respect of a qualifying province, the product, rounded to the nearest thousand, determined by multiplying the cash contribution most recently determined under subparagraph (vi) that is greater than zero, or zero in any other case, by the greater of 1.03 and the amount determined by the formula

      1 + A

      where

      A

      is the average of the annual rates of growth of the nominal gross domestic product of Canada for the calendar year that ends during the fiscal year in question and for the two previous calendar years, as determined by the Minister not later than three months before the beginning of that fiscal year, and

    • (viii) for each fiscal year that begins after March 31, 2029, in respect of a qualifying province, the product, rounded to the nearest thousand, determined by the formula

      (A + B) × C

      where

      A

      is the cash contribution determined under subparagraph (vii) for the immediately preceding fiscal year that is greater than zero, or zero in any other case,

      B

      is the cash contribution determined under this subparagraph for the immediately preceding fiscal year that is greater than zero, or zero in any other case, and

      C

      is the greater of 1.03 and the amount determined by the formula

      1 + D

      where

      D

      is the average of the annual rates of growth of the nominal gross domestic product of Canada for the calendar year that ends during the fiscal year in question and for the two previous calendar years, as determined by the Minister not later than three months before the beginning of that fiscal year; and

  • (b) the portion of the total equalized tax transfer for all provinces that is determined by multiplying the total equalized tax transfer for all provinces by the quotient, rounded to the nearest hundredth, that is obtained by dividing an amount equal to the cash contribution specified in subparagraph (a)(i) by an amount equal to the aggregate of the cash contributions specified in subparagraphs (a)(i) and 24.4(1)(a)(i).

• Marginal note:Meaning of qualifying province

  (1.1) For the purpose of this Part, a province is a qualifying province if the federal Minister of Health has confirmed in writing to the Minister before December 1, 2024 that the province has taken steps to implement certain measures respecting the collection, sharing and use of certain health information in accordance with the plan entitled Working together to improve health care for Canadians, announced on February 7, 2023.

• Marginal note:Meaning of total equalized tax transfer

  (2) In subsection (1), total equalized tax transfer means the total equalized tax transfer as determined in accordance with section 24.7.

• Marginal note:Non-application

  (3) The cash contribution referred to in subparagraph (1)(a)(ii) is not subject to subparagraphs 4(1)(a)(i) to (iii) of the Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer Regulations.

Marginal note:Provincial share — fiscal years 2004-2005 to 2013-2014

• 24.2 (1) The cash contribution established under paragraph 24.1(1)(a) that may be provided to a province for each fiscal year in the period beginning on April 1, 2004 and ending on March 31, 2014 is the amount determined by the formula

  F × (K/L) - M

  where

  F

  is the total of the amounts established under paragraphs 24.1(1)(a) and (b) for the fiscal year;

  K

  is the population of the province for the fiscal year;

  L

  is the total of the population of all provinces for the fiscal year; and

  M

  is the amount obtained by multiplying the total equalized tax transfer for the province as determined in accordance with section 24.7 by the quotient, rounded to the nearest hundredth, that is obtained by dividing an amount equal to the cash contribution specified in subparagraph 24.1(1)(a)(i) by an amount equal to the aggregate of the cash contributions specified in subparagraphs 24.1(1)(a)(i) and 24.4(1)(a)(i).

• Marginal note:Fiscal year 2009–2010

  (2) Despite subsection (1), the cash contribution established under paragraph 24.1(1)(a) that may be provided to a province for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2009 is

  • (a) for Ontario, $9,233,217,000;

  • (b) for Quebec, $5,798,516,000;

  • (c) for Nova Scotia, $700,137,000;

  • (d) for New Brunswick, $557,488,000;

  • (e) for Manitoba, $903,325,000;

  • (f) for British Columbia, $3,353,843,000;

  • (g) for Prince Edward Island, $104,364,000;

  • (h) for Saskatchewan, $843,451,000;

  • (i) for Alberta, $1,961,782,000;

  • (j) for Newfoundland and Labrador, $450,450,000;

  • (k) for Yukon, $26,457,000;

  • (l) for the Northwest Territories, $26,824,000; and

  • (m) for Nunavut, $27,208,000.

Marginal note:Provincial share — fiscal years 2014–2015 and later

• 24.21 (1) The cash contribution determined under subparagraphs 24.1(1)(a)(iv) or (v), as the case may be, that may be provided to a province for each fiscal year beginning after March 31, 2014 is the amount determined by the formula

  A × B ÷ C

  where

  A

  is the cash contribution determined under the applicable subparagraph for that fiscal year;

  B

  is the population of that province for that fiscal year; and

  C

  is the total of the population of all provinces for that fiscal year.

• Marginal note:Provincial share (qualifying province) — fiscal years 2024–2025 and later

  (2) The cash contribution determined under subparagraph 24.1(1)(a)(vi), (vii) or (viii), as the case may be, that may be provided to a qualifying province for each fiscal year beginning after March 31, 2024 is the amount determined by the formula

  A × B ÷ C

  where

  A

  is the cash contribution determined under the applicable subparagraph for that fiscal year;

  B

  is the population of that province for that fiscal year; and

  C

  is the total of the population of all provinces for that fiscal year.

Canada Social Transfer

Marginal note:Purposes

• 24.3 (1) Subject to this Part, a Canada Social Transfer in the amounts referred to in subsection 24.4(1) is to be provided to the provinces for the purposes of

  • (a) financing social programs in a manner that provides provincial flexibility;

  • (b) maintaining the national standard set out in section 25.1; and

  • (c) promoting any shared principles and objectives, including public reporting, that are developed under subsection (2) with respect to the operation of social programs.

• Marginal note:Discussion with provinces

  (2) The Minister of Employment and Social Development shall invite representatives of all the provinces to consult and work together to develop, through mutual consent, a set of shared principles and objectives for social programs that could underlie the Canada Social Transfer.

• Marginal note:Definition of social programs

  (3) In this section, social programs includes programs in respect of post-secondary education, social assistance and social services, including early childhood development, and early learning and child care services.

Marginal note:Amount

• 24.4 (1) The Canada Social Transfer is to consist of

  • (a) a cash contribution of

    • (i) $7.75 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2004,

    • (ii) $150 million for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2004,

    • (iii) $8.225 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2005,

    • (iv) $8.5 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2006,

    • (v) $9.487 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2007,

    • (vi) $10.537 billion for the fiscal year beginning on April 1, 2008, and

    • (vii) the product obtained by multiplying the cash contribution for the immediately preceding fiscal year by 1.03, rounded to the nearest thousand, for each fiscal year beginning after March 31, 2009.

  • (b) the portion of the total equalized tax transfer for all provinces that is determined by multiplying the total equalized tax transfer for all provinces by the quotient, rounded to the nearest hundredth, that is obtained by dividing an amount equal to the cash contribution specified in subparagraph (a)(i) by an amount equal to the aggregate of the cash contributions specified in subparagraphs (a)(i) and 24.1(1)(a)(i).

• Marginal note:Meaning of total equalized tax transfer

  (2) In subsection (1), total equalized tax transfer means the total equalized tax transfer as determined in accordance with section 24.7.

Marginal note:Provincial share: fiscal year 2006-2007 and earlier

24.5 The cash contribution established under any of subparagraphs 24.4(1)(a)(i) to (iv) that may be provided to a province for the fiscal year mentioned in that subparagraph is the amount determined by the formula

Marginal note:Provincial share — fiscal year 2007-2008 and later

24.51 The cash contribution established under any of subparagraphs 24.4(1)(a)(v) to (vii) that may be provided to a province for the fiscal year mentioned in that subparagraph is the amount determined by multiplying the amount established under that subparagraph for that fiscal year by the quotient obtained by dividing

• (a) the population of the province for that fiscal year

by

• (b) the total of the population of all provinces for that fiscal year.

24.6 [Repealed, 2012, c. 19, s. 398]

Wait Times Reduction Transfer

Marginal note:Purposes

24.61 Subject to this Part, a Wait Times Reduction Transfer is established under section 24.62 to provide funding for the purposes of assisting the provinces to reduce wait times according to their respective priorities, including training and hiring more health professionals, clearing backlogs, building capacity for regional centres of excellence, expanding appropriate ambulatory and community care programs and expanding tools to manage wait times, as outlined in the 2004 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care.