Issue link: http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/354914
6 Funding Long-term Care Improvements with Savings from Structural Reform Given the difference in costs across long-term care settings, there are significant cost savings, as well as likely improved health care outcomes, to be realized if patients are treated in the most appropriate and lowest cost settings possible. This augurs for a concerted effort at implementing fundamental structural reform to move individuals from high cost hospitals into lower cost long-term care settings as well as allowing individuals to stay in their homes longer. For example, a Toronto Balance of Care project concluded that 37 per cent of those on the Toronto Central long-term care waiting list could potentially be supported safely and cost-effectively if they were to receive care in their own homes. In addition, we know that the vast majority of Canadians would prefer to receive care in their home rather than in an institutional setting. 15 As well, as noted above, there are 7,550 acute care beds that are taken up by individuals who should be in long-term care or in rehabilitation. This represents about 7 per cent of all hospital beds in Canada. 16 Not only are these individuals receiving a sub-optimal level of patient care, but the costs associated with this care are significantly more expensive than it needs to be. Shifting these patients to a more appropriate long- term care setting would free up capacity for those requiring a more intensive level of care. If systemic reform was able to transition all those in a hospital setting to a more appropriate long-term care institution, the savings to the system would be roughly $77 billion over the time period examined. In addition, if we moved even 20 per cent of the resulting individuals out of long-term care institutions 15 Pollara, SSCA Procurement Review Quantitative Survey Results, March 2005 survey found that 88% of Ontarians indicate a preference for home care for themselves. 16 According to the OECD (OECD Health Data 2011), total hospital beds in Canada per 1,000 population is 3.3. - 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 2032 2034 2036 2038 2040 2042 2044 2046 Chart 2: Long-term Care Costs in Canada: Government Funding and Shortfall ($ billions) LTC Cost Funding Shortfall Government LTC Funding Costs