The Saskatchewan government says consolidating 12 existing health regions into a single provincial health authority could save $10 million to $20 million by 2018-19.
The province says there could be savings of about $700,000 a year in board governance costs and about $9 million on information technology.
Health Minister Jim Reiter says a transition team is being formed that will include the Ministry of Health as well as clinical and health system leaders.
Reiter says it's a significant change and there's a lot of work to be done.
He says the move to a single health authority is being driven by the need to improve patient care, although cost savings will also be a result.
The consolidation is expected to occur this fall.
Concerns about the overhaul have been expressed by unions representing health-care workers and the organization that represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
The CUPE Health Care Council has said a central superboard will be less responsive and harder to navigate for patients and communities.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations is concerned the change is primarily driven by cost-cutting and will lower the standard of care for everyone. The FSIN has said it's time indigenous people develop health care for themselves.
The Saskatchewan Medical Association predicts the consolidation will be a mammoth task, but has said it welcomes changes that could improve care.
An advisory panel tasked with reviewing the province's health-care structure said in a report released last week that patients with singular, immediate needs are often well served. But it also said that's often not the case for patients with multiple chronic or complex conditions.
