Manitoba Throne Speech looks at expanded private health-care, adding billions of dollars for hospitals

Premier Heather Stefanson has outlined her blueprint for Manitoba in the coming year, with plans to explore private health-care services, spend billions of dollars for hospitals, and financially stabilize Manitoba Hydro.

Premier Heather Stefanson has outlined her blueprint for Manitoba in the coming year, with plans to explore private health-care services, spend billions of dollars for hospitals, and financially stabilize Manitoba Hydro.

Manitoba's Lieutenant-Governor Anita Neville delivered the 18-page speech Tuesday afternoon. With an election coming in 2023, Premier Stefanson outlined her vision for the year. Here is a breakdown of what was included:

The speech outlines plans to explore a blended public-private delivery system for health-care. Stefanson says this model is being used in most other provinces.

“This is the route that we have to go to encourage the private sector to set up here in Manitoba, where we can contract out with the private sector to deliver those services for Manitobans,” she said.

“We have lagged behind because there was an ideological approach that was taken for decades here in our province. We are getting beyond that. And we are going to look to the private sector to help be part of the solution.”

She said the province would remain under the single-payer, single-tier system, and the change would not lead to more fees for Manitobans seeking health care.

Stefanson said as an example, private delivery of diagnostic services and day surgeries could be expanded.