The Canadian Senate has passed a bill allowing the federal government to negotiate deals with provinces for coverage of diabetes and birth control medications under the public health system. While experts praise the legislation as long overdue, concerns are raised that Alberta’s potential opt-out could leave residents without access to affordable medication.
WATCH ABOVE: The pharmacare bill allowing the government to sign deals with provinces and territories to cover diabetes and birth-control medications as part of the public health system is now set to become law after the Senate passed it without making any changes.A health policy expert is warning some Alberta ns will fall through the cracks if the province doesn’t reach a pharmacare deal with the federal government.
“This was supposed to have been done as part of medicare for many years and there are many other countries that already do this. So Canada really lags behind in health equity because of all of the other countries that are already doing this,” Hardcastle said. “The income cutoff to qualify for public drug benefits in Alberta is about $17,000 a year. And so there’s a lot of people that fall just above that threshold but who certainly can’t afford to buy medication,” Hardcastle said.“There are people who fall between the cracks that don’t quality for public benefits but don’t have coverage through their employers.”Alberta’s health minister is calling on the federal government to respect the province’s management of its own health-care system.
“Without meaningful consultation and true collaboration, Alberta will continue to call on the federal government to provide predictable, sustainable and unconditional health funding that aligns with provincial and territorial priorities, and respects our exclusive jurisdiction over the planning, organization and management of our health-care systems.”
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