Whereas under the Hospital District Act, hospital districts may contribute up to 40 of capital expenses incurred by their local health authorities; And whereas those contribution percentages should be equitable across all hospital districts; And whereas Metro Vancouver has been relieved of their obligation to provide a contribution to hospital capital costs, shifting additional costs to the Health Authority and ultimately further impacting the ability of the Ministry of Health to fund capital projects for hospitals: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM commence discussions with the provincial government to work toward a system that creates parity in the capital contributions that hospital districts in BC provide to their local health authorities.
Ministry of Health Regional hospital districts RHDs are key partners in building and maintaining local hospital infrastructure. The Hospital District Act the Act is a legislative framework for RHDs and their roles and responsibilities. Health authorities work closely with their RHDs to determine what level of cost sharing may be possible for specific projects within their approved capital plans and RHDs are expected to contribute 40 percent of capital project costs within their region. Since 1998, Metro Vancouver residents no longer have a RHD and they pay property taxes to TransLink in accordance with the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Act. The Ministry of Health recognizes that regional contributions towards health capital projects are inconsistent across RHDs and vary from project to project and that the Act and its regulation need to be updated and aligned with current practices. When there is an opportunity to amend the Act, consultations with all stakeholders, including RHDs and the Union of BC Municipalities, will be part of the amendment process.