that of many other countries. By 2016, there were about six million seniors in Canada, which then had a population of approximately 34 million. This significantly influences Canada's healthcare services; by 2019, Canada's aging population represented a modest increase in healthcare costs of about 1% a year. Since the 2010s, Statistics Canada health research on aging has focused on "chronic diseases," "social isolation" and senior's mental health needs, and "transitions to institutional care" including long-term care. The eight chronic conditions that are prevalent in one out of ten seniors include high blood pressure, arthritis, back problems, eye problems, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and urinary incontinence, with many seniors having multiple chronic conditions. Those with chronic conditions are "associated with higher use of home-care services and need for formal-care providers." Ninety percent of Canadians agree that Canada should have a "national seniors strategy to address needs along the full continuum of care." Current status The government guarantees the quality of care through federal standards. The government does not participate in day-to-day care or collect any information about an individual's health, which remains confidential between a person and their physician. In each province, each doctor handles the insurance claim against the provincial insurer. There is no need for the person who accesses healthcare to be involved in billing and reclaim. Private health expenditure accounts for 30% of health care financing. The Canada Health Act does not cover prescription drugs, home care, or long-term care or dental care. Provinces provide partial coverage for children, those living in poverty, and seniors. Programs vary by province. In Ontario, for example, most prescriptions for youths under the age of 24 are covered by the Ontario health insurance plan if no private insurance plan is available. Competitive practices such as advertising are kept to a minimum, thus maximizing the percentage of revenues that go directly towards care. Costs are paid through funding from federal and provincial general tax revenues, which include income taxes, sales taxes, and corporate taxes. In British Columbia, taxation-based funding was (until January 1, 2020) supplemented by a fixed monthly premium that was waived or reduced for those on low incomes. In Ontario, there is an income tax identified as a health premium on taxable income above $20,000. In addition to funding through the tax system, hospitals and medical research are funded in part by charitable contributions. For example, in 2018, Toronto's Hospital for