Provincial Health Minister Ted
Flemming has unveiled details of the 2.6 billion dollar healthcare budget for
2014-2015.
He says health care expenditures
are expected to be under budget for the second year in a row because the
province can't afford to do otherwise.
Flemming maintains the cost of
healthcare was rising at such a yearly rate, it was becoming financially
unsustainable.
As for the Liberals' plan for healthcare, Flemming charges
they don't have one.
The budget includes 27 million dollars for the drug
plan, more than 367 thousand dollars to improve the health of expectant moms and
newborns and 2.2 million for mental health initiatives.
Flemming also announcing no one
will have to pay for the cost of an ambulance as of April 1st. 70 per cent of
New Brunswickers are covered by their own private plans if they have to use an
ambulance.