Health Care by the Numbers

Cost of providing health services – today and tomorrow

  • $12.83 billion – amount expected to be spent on health care services across government in 2006/07
  • $10.50 billion – the amount spent by the province on health care services across government five years earlier in 2001
  • $35 million – the estimated cost to the province of operating the health care system in British Columbia for one day
  • $1.5 million – the estimated cost to the province of operating the health care system in British Columbia for one hour
  • 42% – the percentage of total government spending that goes to health care this year
  • 70% – the potential percentage of total government spending that health care could consume by 2017

As baby boomers age, demand on the system increases

  • $1.47 billion – total of all MSP premiums expected to be billed this year
  • $3,157 – amount spent by the province annually per person on health care in B.C.
  • $2,364 – average spent by the province annually per person aged 45 - 64
  • $5,224 – average spent by the province annually per person aged 65 - 74
  • $9,841 – average spent by the province annually per person aged 75 - 84
  • $20,878 – average spent by the province annually per person aged 85 or older
  • 14% – percentage of B.C. population over the age of 65 today
  • 24% – percentage of B.C. population expected to be over age 65 by year 2030

Advances in treatment mean more pressure on Pharmacare and health professionals

  • $867 million – amount spent on PharmaCare in 2005/06
  • $1.04 billion – projected PharmaCare cost in 2008/09 based on current 3 - year plan
  • 149.1% – percentage increase of PharmaCare expenses since 1993
  • 715 – number of different drugs paid for under PharmaCare in 2005
  • $278 million – amount spent on health research in B.C. in 2004/05, up from $88 million in 2000/01 – a more than 300% increase
  • 680 – number of students in training to be doctors in B.C. today, which is expected to grow to 896 by 2008 – a 32% increase
  • 10 to 11 - the number of years it takes a doctor to complete training and work in the health care system
  • 7,000 – estimated number of nurses in training this year, around 3,000 more than five years earlier – a 75% increase
  • 4 to 6 - the number of years it takes for a nurse to complete training and work in the health care system
  • 2,861 – estimated increase in nurses with a practicing license in B.C. since 2001 – a 10% increase
  • 3,258 – number of full and part-time paramedics in B.C. in 2006/07, up 47% since 2001/02

Demand for health services continues to rise

  • 20 million – approximate number of visits to family doctors’ offices each year
  • 3.3 million – approximate number of visits to specialists each year
  • 459,000 – number of surgeries performed in B.C. in 2005/06, 50,000 more than were conducted in 2001 – a 12% increase
  • 1.8 million – number of visits to emergency rooms in British Columbia last year, up nearly 100,000 from two years prior
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