funding the health system 

• Funding for Health and Wellness is up $997 million (10.4 per cent) for a total of $10.6 billion. That’s more than one third of all government spending $29 million a day, or $1.2 million every hour.

FUNDING HEALTH AUTHORITIES 

• Health authorities receive over 58 percent of all health funding: $6.1 billion, up $450 million (8 percent). 
• The budget also includes $25 million for a Mental Health Innovation Fund.
• $607 million will be spent on health facilities and $150 million on diagnostic/medical equipment.

increases for other health priorities

• The budget for physician services, including tri-lateral agreement among government, physicians and regions, will cost $1.88 billion, up almost 8 percent or $135 million from the previous year.
• An increase of $91 million or 15 percent for drug benefits under the Ministry supported non group health benefit program.
• $42 million is being provided to improve continuing care, which is in addition to the $25 million increase provided in 2005-06
• $27 million will be spent in 2006-07 as the second half of a two-year $54 million initiative to reduce wait times.
• $25 million will be drawn from the $500 million Alberta Cancer Prevention Legacy Fund for initiatives such as the expansion of cancer screening programs and development of a virtual cancer research institute to co-ordinate cancer research.

sources of health funding

Of every dollar in health funding:
09 cents come from premiums,
18 cents come from federal transfer payments,
69 cents come from Alberta’s general revenues; and
04 cents come from lottery and other revenues.

• 2006/2007 Funding Allocation for Ministry (pie chart)