Pharmacare could be in place by 2020, jokes Liberal MP

[tay]

Liberal MP John Oliver said today the Trudeau government likely will begin to implement a national pharmacare program by 2020.

“The expectation, the hope, from those that have been championing this for some time is that 2020 is the year that we see the beginning,” Oliver told an iPoliticsLive luncheon panel event to discuss drug costs and public health care. “It’s going to be gradual but that’s the year we begin to see national pharmacare being implemented.”

Health stakeholders and politicians gathered for the panel to discuss the possibility of a pan-Canadian pharmacare accord. Oliver was joined by Janet Yale, CEO of the Arthritis Society, Iris Krawchenko of the Canadian Pharmacists Association and Deputy Parliamentary Budget Officer Mostafa Askari.

Canada, Oliver added, is the only country that has a universal healthcare model with no pharmacare included.
“Any country that has a universal health system has pharmacare,” said Oliver.

Health professionals have been calling for a pharmacare program to ensure Canadians can afford the drugs they are prescribed. Currently, Oliver said, one in ten Canadians cannot access their prescribed medication due to cost.

Yale told the panel that a father she knew began drinking heavily after he realized he could no longer afford his son’s $25,000 per year arthritis medication. Without the medication, Yale said, his son would struggle to find work.

https://ipolitics.ca/2017/12/06/pharmacare-place-2020-says-liberal-mp/

 

[Walter]

Another boondoggle awaits with sky-rocketing drug prices.

 

[mentalfloss]

Should be implemented earlier.

 

[taxslave]

I fear the setting up of yet another bureaucracy to ruin this program will cost us dearly.
What happens to our employer paid drug coverage? Since they will no longer be on the hook will we get this money in a pay raise wich we will need to help offset the tax increase required to cover the cost of the program? Or can we opt out and continue with our existing program with out a tax increase?

 

[Hoid]

one in ten is the American estimate too.

 

[Corduroy]

Since they will no longer be on the hook will we get this money in a pay raise wich we will need to help offset the tax increase required to cover the cost of the program?

What are you? Some kind of communist?

 

[petros]

I fear the setting up of yet another bureaucracy to ruin this program will cost us dearly.
What happens to our employer paid drug coverage? Since they will no longer be on the hook will we get this money in a pay raise wich we will need to help offset the tax increase required to cover the cost of the program? Or can we opt out and continue with our existing program with out a tax increase?

If it's part of your Union Kollektive Kontrakt they have to make up the shortfall.

 

[tay]

I fear the setting up of yet another bureaucracy to ruin this program will cost us dearly.
What happens to our employer paid drug coverage? Since they will no longer be on the hook will we get this money in a pay raise wich we will need to help offset the tax increase required to cover the cost of the program? Or can we opt out and continue with our existing program with out a tax increase?

Relax.

If you read the story it says the Liberal Plan 'could' start in 2020. The next election is in 2019........


Edmonton woman begs Alberta to cover life-changing $250K cystic fibrosis drug

The province isn’t funding the drug, and her Blue Cross plan doesn’t cover it either.

In a statement, Alberta Health wrote:

“Alberta follows national processes to ensure new treatments provide patients with better health outcomes. After Health Canada approves a new treatment, Alberta and other jurisdictions rely on the Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC) recommendation. Based on the recommendation, the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance may negotiate a price. These steps occur before individual jurisdictions consider covering a drug.

In the case of Orkambi, the CDEC found there was not enough evidence of clinical effectiveness. They recommended public drug plans not provide reimbursement for this drug. If the drug company has additional, or new clinical evidence, they can resubmit it to the CDEC.

No Canadian provinces and territories provide coverage for Orkambi under government-sponsored programs. Other countries – such as England, Scotland and Australia – do not provide public coverage of this drug.”

But other countries do cover Orkambi, including the United States, Ireland, Germany and France.

Her Orkambi prescription cost $250,000 each year. For one year, her husband’s work benefits plan covered the cost.

But in November, he had to change jobs. It meant Secord lost access to her life-changing medication.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3911268/...utm_source=GlobalEdmonton&utm_medium=Facebook

 

[tay]

It will be great and who challenges Trudeau in the year??

Holy F uck do I have to spell it out for you.

It's the Liberals making a promise that they will look into it the year AFTER the election. Even if the Liberals win a majority in 2019 don't expect them to remember Pharmacare........

 

[Hoid]

Just picked up a new med that was free because of my plan but would be $156 (60 days worth - so $1,000 a year) if no plan.

I would not have been prescribed it if my doctor knew I had to pay.