Expenditures for the new fiscal year in the 2013–2014 BC budget (tabled in February) are set at $16.6 billion, $234 million less than projected in last year’s budget. Health spending is fore­cast to go up 2.3% in 2013–14, rising by 2.4% and 2.7% in the next two years as part of a 3-year plan.

Regional health authorities, who are responsible for over $11 billion of the budget, are getting the same in­crease as forecast last year, 4.3% and 2.9% respectively for 2013–2014 and 2014–2015, to protect front-line services. The government says it will use the upcoming fiscal year to transition to the use of performance-based, patient-focused funding incentives in health authority base budgets. This formula was to amount to 20% of eligible funding as of 2012–2013.

The Medical Services Plan is slated to receive an increase of 2.5% in the new fiscal year, projected to drop to less than 1.0% in the two subsequent years. Starting 1 January 2014, MSP premiums will increase 4%, meaning families of three or more will pay $138.50 per month. The premiums will collect almost $2.2 billion in 2013–2014.

The new 4-year collective agreement signed last year included a 0.5% annual increase in fees for BC physicians in the first 2 years, but increases for the following 2 years are still set to be negotiated, beginning after the provincial election in May. Finance Minister Mike de Jong has said he expects bargaining to be “intense.”