Fraser Institute: Health-care costs of $7 billion added by migrating seniors to B.C.

Fraser Institute: Health-care costs of $7 billion added by migrating seniors to B.C.
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Fraser Institute Study says migrating seniors since 1980 has cost B.C. more than $7 billion in health care costs. Photo courtesy CBC.

Fraser Institute Study says migrating seniors since 1980 has cost B.C. more than $7 billion in health care costs. Photo courtesy CBC.

More people over the age of 65 move to B.C. than any other province since 1980 which has driven the province’s health-care costs.

That’s according to a Fraser Institute study that says B.C. has the largest netflow of seniors than any other province and has increased health-care spending by $7.2 billion since 1980.

The study looked at the movement of seniors from province to province and the impact it has on provincial budgets.

B.C. has welcomed more than 40,000 seniors from other provinces in the last 36 years, easily the most of any other province.

Alberta is next at more than 11,000.

The study says Canadians consume the bulk of health-care services after retiring.

It reports Canadians between the ages of 65 to 74 utilize more than $7,400 in health care services, three-and-a-half times more than individuals between the ages of 15-to-44.

“Canada’s public health-care funding model has several flaws including the fact that it doesn’t adjust for seniors moving around the country after they retire,” study co-author and Fraser Institute executive vice-president Jason Clemens said.

“It’s perfectly reasonable for Canadians to move after they retire—unfortunately, Canada’s health-care funding model doesn’t account for the cost changes that movement creates.”

Other the other side of the ledger, Quebec had the largest outflow of seniors over the last 36 years and saved an estimated $6 billion in health care costs.

Fraser Institute says added seniors to a province’s population does mitigate some of the costs because of the taxes they pay but does not “fully offset the increased costs or savings. ”

B.C. is one of six province’s to see an inflow of seniors since 1980, joining Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Andy NealAndy Neal

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