Healthcare Cuts

Cuts to funding for long-term care will mean a jump in annual costs for half of all Saskatchewan residents in special care homes.

Saskatchewan’s public Hearing Aid Plan (HAP) has been eliminated for everyone except low-income residents. This means no more coverage for audiological evaluation or subsidized hearing aids. Long wait lists will get longer with two audiologist positions already cut in the Saskatoon Health Region. Saskatchewan already has the lowest number of audiologists per capita of the all the provinces.

The budgets eliminates coverage for podiatry services and low-cost orthotic services.

All pastoral services in health care have been eliminated.

Public coverage for sleep apnea devices has been eliminated.

Public coverage for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) generators has been eliminated.

Public coverage for chiropractic services for low-income residents has also been axed.

Public coverage of travel vaccinations has been eliminated.

Parent mentoring services, which provided in-house support to expectant parents and those with young children, are eliminated.

10% cut to community-based organizations by health regions affecting agencies that support mental health services, mobile crisis services, addictions services, supports for homeless people, and more.

These health care cuts are particularly punishing for people with disabilities, chronic pain, and low incomes.