Program directory · Department of Indigenous Services
Supplementary Health Benefits
- Department
- Department of Indigenous Services
- Program code
- BXL01 (INDSC)
- Core responsibility
- Services and Benefits to Individuals
- In Departmental Plans
- 2019-20 – 2022-23 · Appeared and later dropped
What it does
The Supplementary Health Benefits Program is a national program that provides registered First Nations and recognized Inuit, regardless of their place of residence in Canada or level of income, with coverage for a range of medically necessary health related goods and services which are not otherwise available to them through other private plans or provincial/territorial health or social programs. Improving the health of First Nations and Inuit is a shared undertaking between federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and First Nations and Inuit partners. The Program benefits include prescription and over-the-counter medications, dental and vision care, medical supplies and equipment, mental health counselling, and transportation to access medically required health services that are not available on reserve or in the community of residence.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2019-20. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supplementary Health Benefits | Earlier program (name match, high confidence) | 2018-19 – 2020-21 | $1.44B |
| Supplementary Health Benefits | This program | 2019-20 – 2024-25 | $6.83B |
| Supplementary Health Benefits | Later program (name match, high confidence) | 2023-24 – 2028-29 | $4.58B |
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Appears to replace Supplementary Health Benefits | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
| 2020-21 | Employees (FTEs) 594, against 481 in 2019-20 (+23%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Planned employees (FTEs) 469, against 632 in 2022-23 (−26%). | FTEs (GC InfoBase) |
| 2023-24 | Appears to be replaced by Supplementary Health Benefits | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | ≥ 74% | 2022 | 71.2% In previous years, the rate was calculated based on the percentage of eligible First Nation and Inuit who received at least one Pharmacy, Dental and/or Medical Supplies and Equipment benefit in a given year. As of the 2021-22 fiscal year, it became possible to also include First Nation and Inuit who accessed NIHB Mental Health Care and Vision Care benefits in the calculation. The increase in this… | Not met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 74% | 2023 | 74% The result includes distinct claimant counts across five Non-Insured Health Benefits: Pharmacy, Medical Supplies & Equipment, Dental Care, Vision Care, and Mental Health. Due to system and data limitations, claimants of the Medical Transportation benefit have not been included in this analysis. | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
No indicators in the 2026-27 plan.
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | $1.71B | $1.57B |
| 2020-21 | $1.53B | $1.55B |
| 2021-22 | $1.59B | $1.76B |
| 2022-23 | $2.12B | $1.95B |
| 2023-24 | $1.91B* | — |
| 2024-25 | $1.94B* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 475 | 481 |
| 2020-21 | 475 | 594 |
| 2021-22 | 469 | 620 |
| 2022-23 | 469 | 632 |
| 2023-24 | 469* | — |
| 2024-25 | 469* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 plan | $1,705,604,563 | $1,509,303,276 | $1,586,343,885 | |||
| 2020-21 plan | $1,533,520,748 | $1,585,525,475 | $1,667,129,164 | |||
| 2021-22 plan | $1,587,908,515 | $1,669,486,400 | $1,876,285,589 | |||
| 2022-23 plan | $2,123,017,564 | $1,909,363,003 | $1,941,227,118 | |||
| Actual | $1,572,013,172 | $1,550,468,176 | $1,755,747,345 | $1,953,603,113 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
