By NextBestFitDedicated public health funding
Fixed share of health spending for public health, protected from cuts.
Protects public health from cuts.
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This path
Dedicated public health funding
Concrete changes if chosen
What would actually have to change in law, agencies, payment rules, or systems.
- Set a fixed share of health spending for public health
Effects
Each effect has its own page: the evidence, the case that it is or isn't a real cost, and whom it affects.
What it fixes
- Prevention and public health are underfunded
Reserving a fixed share of health spending for public health provides stable funding and protects it from cuts.
What it creates or worsens
- Leaves funding vulnerable or inflexible
Reserving health spending for public health competes with treatment for funding.
- Makes performance and quality hard to oversee
The results of protected public health spending are hard to see.
Who's affected
Who gains
- People who will need care in the future
- Prevention and public health are underfunded: Limited prevention funding leaves chronic disease driving treatment needs.
- People with ongoing or specialist care needs
- Prevention and public health are underfunded: Limited prevention funding leaves chronic disease driving treatment needs.
Who loses
- Hospitals, clinics, and care organizations
- Prevention and public health are underfunded: More chronic disease creates more treatment business.
- Taxpayers and public budgets
- Leaves funding vulnerable or inflexible: Reserving health spending for public health competes with treatment for funding.
Where it has been tried
- Canada (provinces): In Canada, public health represents 5.6% ($22 billion) of total health spending projected in 2025 (peaking at 5.9% in 2022–2023), with core prevention and promotion programs receiving 3.2% to 3.5%.