Nova Scotia long-term and home-care plan could include user fees

The Nova Scotia government is proposing possible user fees and direct funding as it develops a long-term and home-care plan.

Health Minister Leo Glavine released Continuing Care: A Path to 2017 today to guide discussions for the eventual policy.

The document recommends areas of focus based on the original continuing care strategy from 2006.

It proposes changing the placement policy to give priority to people with the highest needs, using performance-based contracts for care providers and considering giving people money directly to buy needed services.

Glavine says they will also examine user-fee structures.

He's asking people in the province to provide feedback before the new strategy is released in 2017.