Health Transition Fund
Frequently Asked Questions

How can I access information on the HTF projects?

Summary information on each project, along with a fact sheet and final report (where available) is posted on the HTF web site.

How were projects selected?

Decisions about provincial/territorial projects were made by the province or territory in question and the Government of Canada. Provinces and territories had discretion in terms of how they would decide what proposals to submit; however, all proposals had to meet the selection criteria. Decisions regarding national projects were made on a multi-lateral basis by the FPT Working Group on the HTF.

What is the difference between the 1997 HTF and the Primary Health Care Transition Fund which was announced as part of the First Minister's Agreement in September 2000?

The 1997 Health Transition Fund (HTF) invested $150 million over three years had a mandate to generate evidence to improve health policy and program decisions. It is funded pilot and evaluation projects and had four priority areas - home care, pharmaceutical issues, primary health care and integrated service delivery.

The Primary Health Care Transition Fund (PHCTF) was announced in September 2000 and will spend $800 million over four years to support the transitional costs of implementing large-scale, primary health care initiatives. Seventy percent of the funds will be devoted to major provincial and territorial reforms, and the remaining 30% will support national and multi-jurisdictional initiatives related to advancing primary health care reform.

Key differences, other than the amount involved and the duration, are that the original HTF was experimental and had four priorities whereas the new fund supports implementation and focuses on primary health care.

How did the HTF allocate the money for projects?

Of the $150 million, $120 million was allocated to provincial and territorial projects on an equal, per capita basis. The remaining $30 million was devoted to national projects, national conferences, national synthesis and dissemination activities, and HTF Secretariat operations.

What is meant by a "collaborative initiative among federal/provincial/territorial governments"?

While the money was provided by the federal government, the effort was a collaborative one, involving the federal government and all provincial and territorial governments.

A working group with one representative from the federal government and each provincial and territorial government was formed to guide the Health Transition Fund. For provincial or territorial projects, each jurisdiction worked with the federal government to select projects to recommend for funding. For national projects, the working group as a whole made recommendations about which projects should be funded. The federal Minister of Health made final decisions based on the recommendations.

Did the HTF succeed in achieving its goals?

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as PDF, MP3 and WAV files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

The overall synthesis of HTF projects by Steven Lewis (Supporting an Evidence-Based Future in Canadian Health) (PDF Version) addresses this question. In addition, the HTF as a program is undergoing an evaluation by Health Canada's Program Evaluation Division. An interim evaluation has been completed, and a final impact evaluation will be undertaken in 2003/2004.

Whom do I contact for information concerning provincial/territorial health programs and issues?

As you may know, delivery of health care is a provincial/territorial responsibility, and accordingly, your request for assistance/information should be addressed to Ministry of Health officials in your province or territory.