Appendix C: Core Business Areas

The core business areas of the ministry are organized to reflect the different roles in the health system. Accordingly, the ministry has three broad core business areas: Services Delivered by Partners, Services Delivered by Ministry, and Stewardship and Corporate Management. This appendix provides details of the key responsibilities and functions of each core business area.

Core Business: Services Delivered by Partners

B.C.'s health authorities, agencies and direct care providers are the ministry's key partners who deliver the vast majority of health services to the public. These services span beginning to end-of-life care, health promotion to disease prevention, and primary to acute care. Accordingly, this core business accounts for the vast majority of health expenditures, and is the primary focus of the system redesign efforts detailed in the ministry's service plan.

Key areas under this core business include:

Regional Health Sector

More than 90 per cent of this funding is provided to six health authorities for provision of most local health services, including preventive services, hospital care, home and community care, and mental health and addiction services. In addition, some funding goes to other health agencies, for related services, including: provision of blood services, out of province hospital services, post-graduate medical education, health care risk management, and some palliative care services.

Medical Services Plan

2004/05: $2.568 billion (24% per cent of total ministry budget)

The Medical Services Plan funds medically necessary services provided by physicians, including diagnostic services. Physician services may be funded in a variety of ways: through fees, contracts (including contracts with health authorities), salaried positions or sessions. Funding also provides supplementary benefits for low-income British Columbians for a range of services, including physical therapy, naturopathy and chiropractic.

PharmaCare

2004/05: $830 million (eight per cent of total ministry budget)

PharmaCare is B.C.'s prescription drug insurance program and includes several benefit plans. The largest plan is Fair PharmaCare, providing assistance to B.C. families based on their income. Several other plans exist to address health needs of specific populations, including seniors in long term care facilities, severely disabled children who are cared for at home, enzyme treatment for cystic fibrosis suffers, and clients on provincial income assistance.

Capital Financings

2004/05: $310 million

Government provides debt-financed funding to health authorities for specific capital purposes including the capital cost of new buildings, renovations and improvements to health facilities, diagnostic and medical equipment and information technology. Debt service and amortization costs are included.

Core Business: Services Delivered by the Ministry

In 2004/05, this core business encompassed three service areas delivered directly to the public by the ministry: the British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS), which is delivered through the Emergency Health Services Commission; the Vital Statistics Agency, which is responsible for documenting important events for B.C. citizens such as births, marriages, and deaths; and Health Benefit Operations which provides administrative services for B.C.'s PharmaCare Program and Medical Services Plan.

Emergency Health Services (BC Ambulance Service)

The BCAS is responsible for providing effective, efficient and equitable emergency health care services for the province. Approximately 1,300 full-time and 1,900 part-time CUPE paramedics and dispatchers provide emergency transport services. BCAS is a provincial service with 190 stations and 460 ambulances across the province, providing more than 460,000 ground calls and 7,000 air evacuations annually.

British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency

2004/05: $6.8 million 89 FTEs

The Vital Statistics Agency is responsible for documenting important events for B.C. citizens such as births, marriages, and deaths. There are two primary outputs of the Agency's vital event registration activities: the production of accurate, timely and relevant health statistics and information, and the issuance of certified documents pertaining to individual vital events (e.g., birth certificates). The Agency also has a key responsibility to secure and protect personal identity records by taking appropriate measures to prevent identity theft and related frauds as they may relate to British Columbia vital event records and documents.

Health Benefit Operations

2004/05: $18.3 million

Health Benefit Operations provides administrative services for B.C.'s PharmaCare Program and Medical Services Plan. These services do not involve direct health care delivery, but include registering beneficiaries, processing medical and pharmaceutical claims from health professionals, and responding to inquiries from the public. These services were outsourced on April 1, 2005, to Maximus BC to improve service delivery to the public. The new organization operates under the name of Health Insurance BC. In 2005/06, to reflect the change in delivery method, Health Benefit Operations is contained within the ministry's core business of Services Delivered by Partners.

Core Business: Stewardship and Corporate Management

As stewards of the system the ministry provides leadership and support to our health system partners, including health authorities, physicians, and other care providers. The ministry sets the overall strategic direction for the health system, provides the appropriate legislative and regulatory frameworks to allow it to function smoothly, and plans for the future supply and use of health professionals, technology and facilities. The ministry also monitors the health of the population and plans for and coordinates responses to major public health risks and emergencies. In addition, the ministry also evaluates health system performance, and takes corrective action where necessary to ensure the population's health needs are being met.