NDP Calls for Transparency and Public Update on Change Healthcare Contract

NL NDP
May 30
2 min read

For Immediate Release

May 30, 2025

NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) is calling on the provincial government to provide a public update on its contract with U.S.-based Change Healthcare, including how much has been spent, what results have been achieved, and whether the contract will be renewed.

In 2021, without a public announcement, government signed a deal with Change Healthcare aimed at addressing worker burnout and scheduling issues in the healthcare system. The contract included a $3 million upfront payment and up to $35 million in financial incentives tied to "savings" identified by the company.

Dinn is calling on the government to be transparent about this contract, and update the public on what results, if any, were identified over the past four years. He also questions how this fits in with the Health Human Resources Plan.

“It’s been four years since this contract was signed—are we any better off? The Health Human Resources Plan clearly shows we are not,” said Dinn. “This deal was supposed to improve efficiency in hospitals and long-term care homes. That’s not happening. It was supposed to address worker burnout. That hasn’t happened, in fact, it’s even worse for our workers. Government needs to explain whether this contract is helping, or just making it harder to fix our system.”

An ATIPP request filed by the NDP Caucus shows an additional $3.2 million has been paid to the company since 2022. Dinn is demanding to know where that money came from and what it was used for.

“We’ve now spent over $6 million on this contract. I believe the people of this province should know what exactly that money was spent on, especially as healthcare workers continue to bare extreme work loads and burnout,” said Dinn. “Healthcare workers are still overwhelmed and burned out. For a contract meant to support them, it’s failed. So, what exactly are we paying for?

“The public has a right to know what their money is being spent on. Government should update the public on the results from this contract and commit to not signing any contracts that include financial incentives for cuts in areas of crisis.”

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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca