Canada’s pharmacare bill has officially been introduced in Parliament
Health Minister Mark Holland has tabled the legislation to create the framework for a national single-payer pharmacare program Thursday afternoon.
This legislation is a key piece of the supply and confidence agreement that sees the NDP support the Liberals on confidence votes in exchange for advancing key priorities including pharmacare.
In addition to a framework, the legislation includes coverage for contraception and diabetes medication, plus devices like insulin pumps. In order for this to be implemented, Ottawa will need to first negotiate deals with the provinces and territories to include these provisions in their medical systems.
“This is a historic day for Canadians,” said NDP health critic and lead on pharmacare negotiations Don Davies Thursday morning.
“This is the culmination of a dream that began when Tommy Douglass invented health care in Saskatchewan in the 1940s. It’s the culmination of decades of hard work by New Democrats, progressive Canadians and allied organizations.”
“This is about health equity. It’s also about affordability, about making sure somebody who’s asking, can I afford the contraception that I need to be able to control my future or do I pay for rent or food? In a time of global inflation and challenge, it’s about giving women control of their own bodies,” Holland said on contraception coverage.
On diabetes coverage, Holland said that if people aren’t able to afford treatment medication like insulin they are left at greater risk of more severe health outcomes like stroke, amputation, blindness or kidney failure.
“That’s just a matter of social justice. Imagine the cost involved in that to our health system. And I don’t think that’s the kind of country we want to have. And that’s
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