the counselling practices are not ready for this. there's already not enough therapists out there, but making them free would make getting one just as hard as finding a GP...
@@fallingpizza11 "Making them free would make getting one just as hard as finding a GP" you're slowly beginning to understand the problem with socialism 😁
Yeah I was one of them for 6 weeks living in a shelter because I had to leave my husband because we couldn’t get prescription coverage and was an untreated bipolar patient. I got so sick I took 3 knives down to the river and walked a long ways on the river trail it was cold I thought nobody would be there. I was going to slash my neck and wanted to be far away from people to find me but a skier came along and I realized this wasn’t going to work I needed to be where I wouldn’t be found so I went home. Magically I survived the next few months but had to leave my husband so I could be treated. I was forced to flee go on welfare and get my mental health back. It’s so wrong. I believe seriously mentally ill people should get coverage no matter what! I almost died I was so close to killing myself in a way that would be guaranteed to work.
Now my health is getting worse because I can’t afford very much food after I pay rent. What I’m given to live on I would like to see Danielle Smith and Trudeau to try living on $950 a month no cheating. Just imagine the whining and the woe is me if they had to live on nothing but peanut butter.
I don’t care how much it costs. Covering mental health care costs would be more than offset as it would get people back to work, make them healthier and more efficient workers, get more people off the streets and shorten wait times to mental health facilities, psychiatrists, counseling, GP’s… the list goes on and on. It would be more than worth it over the long term to have all those people driving the economy and paying taxes rather than dragging down the economy and health care system down into a dark spiral….
Well said. Taxpayers should not be charged with people who are taking birth control and we should not be forced to pay for insulin that is thousands of dollars a year for one person. Insurance companies should be forced to cover insulin not the taxpayers. Medical insurance should be covering all medications since we pay a fortune already.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk you do realize that single-payer is the single most cost effective way to pay for healthcare. why have hundreds of middlemen insurance companies siphoning off money for themselves when the govt can remove the middlemen and bulk order meds.
@@fallingpizza11 I'm sorry lol but where the heck did you come up with that crap lol the worker paid insurance coverage has nothing to do with the government. Only the insurance premiums are regulated by the government. Workers taxpayers pay through their employer and pay for their own premiums. So if we are paying for our own insurance and pay whatever is over and above their costs. Only lower class taxpayers and welfare citizens would only benefit from taxpayers paid handouts for their prescription drugs
@@fallingpizza11 Because the government is incompetent. And no single payer is not "the most cost effective", its full of government waste and inefficiency because when you put people in charge with no skin in the game, they don't care about failing to provide a service.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk Well said. But unfortunately Canada is the land of "gimme gimme" at the expense of people who actually earn a living. Lots of people looking for a "free" handout. No wonder the USA dominates Canada in terms of productivity.
I'm so happy about this. Right now my employer covers my medications, but I'm terrified of what will happen when I retire and have a paltry $5000~/year limit on drugs with a private plan. The cost of my drugs without insurance is a good $20,000/year (mostly arthritis meds).
“Free” meaning as paid through taxation which I think it’s the best way to ensure most or all citizens have adequate healthcare coverage and drug benefits. $40B cost is high but healthy citizens is a productive citizen while a sick citizen cost money as they still need care.
I agree. Hopefully some of the funding can come from things like EHT (Employer Health Tax) in Ontario. This drug plan should lower health insurance costs for companies, so they can just redirect those savings to paying higher EHT.
exactly it does help for those who actually need it. someone i know got hit by a car completely at the guys fault and now needs upwards of $200 a month in meds she didn’t plan on needing. if they weren’t covered that would put a huge financial hinder onto the rest of their life that being said canada is also the place to hand out tax covered morphine for no reason
Even though neither of these changes will benefit me I am thankful and happy that many people will be better able to keep themselves healthy with less financial strain.
Where do you think the money will come from? Higher taxes maybe? Print more money, resulting in high inflation? Nothing is free, there is always a price to pay.
@@ScubaSteveCanada This will save money. Someone that can't afford to monitor or treat their diabetes will cost the health system more when their disease progresses. An unplanned pregnancy could cost the government way more if the women requires social assistance to take care of the child. Being able to pay for mental health medication helps society in general and would allow some to re-enter the workforce. Think positively and not, "OMG I might have to pay an extra $1.00 per paycheck in taxes." Note: There was no mention of taxes rising, however if they want to tax multi-millionaires and billionaires more, great.
@@kalenluckAre you new, or just high? The companies massively overcharge when it is the Gov making the purchase and the per unit costs tend to be far more than when they were over-the-counter. EPI pens jumped from about $10 each to $150+ because of this kind of policy. If the Gov was also running the drug company then it would save money. Until then it is just another waste of taxpayer money.
I see some people pushing back on this, but as a type 1 diabetic that is struggling to pay rent and being able to afford food, this would help big time. Most people don’t know that a vial of insulin that will only last me 5-6 days costs over 200$.
@@matrixripp09 If you lack sympathy then why should your life matter your just being selfish its not like the taxes are being raised and everyone will be contributing to this even the people that need the health care
Also compared to america your looking at a longer wait with no help when you factor in the amount of time you worked to earn money for the cost of whatever medical care you needed be grateful for what you have and how it saves lives in more ways than one
Not even close, Medication or "PharmaCare" is HEALTHCARE!!! They are not different Entities!, especially if your Calling it Universal! and its Medication that does ALL THE WORK for the "Healthcare" system and its Nurses and Doctors, whether you leave the mostly basic 10-30minute doctor appointment where they just randomly prescribe meds until one works, or whether you get wheeled out the Hospital after Surgery with a bag of Meds...
@@potatopotato8360So when did you buy your firemen? Were they cheaper than your policemen or was it a package deal? And who did you pay to make sure your food and water are safe? Does the company that maintains your roads and bridges also manage the safety of your air travel?
think of it this way: we all pay a little more and then get everything (eventually) for free. just like we do for medical stuff. i'm sure lots of people thought this exact same thing when tommy douglas proposed universal health care decades ago, but can you imagine paying out of pocket at the ER or doctor's office now?
I paid $400 for an IUD 6 years ago that I had to get removed less than a year later because it caused a lot of issues. I moved to the UK shortly after getting my IUD and if I had waited to get it here, I would have gotten it for free. I'm glad Canada is finally waking up.
Well as a taxpayer I don't want to pay for your contraception choices. If you decided to use the pill you can get free samples from the health unit or from social services for women. Taxpayers are not responsible for any extra costs associated with costs incurred by taxes above and beyond personal expenses.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk welcome to living in a society. I'm sure lots of people don't want to pay for things that affect you but not themselves. They have to live with knowing a functional society tries to support EVERYONE. Of course governments aren't ever going to get it 100%, that's unfortunately the nature of government.
@@gargwinvinesnake6961 how does paying for insulin and contraception choices benefit the whole society and not just two groups of people. Taxpayers always get the short end of the stick
Hopefully more can be added, provided the conservatives/Poilievre doesn't get into power. There's no way the PCs would ever introduce something helpful like this.
The so-called birth control drugs also happen to be the first thing a Dr will prescribe women for many health issues, not specifically for contraception.
I think the role of the health ministry is to control the prices and safety of drugs, not dole them out to a set of people at the expense of others. Control the prices of these drugs and get them access to them.
I've been taking medication for my adrenal disorder since I was born, it's never been covered hope that changes. I have had this cost my whole life can't live without them, I've been taking them for 43 years.
I lived in Spain for a year and they have a system where you pay only a percentage of the cost of drugs. In some cases the state pays 50 or 70% percent of the cost in some 20% but most of drugs have a discount. It would be nice to have some help for medications, mostly for people that are old and need them.
I’m in agreement of the coverage needed. Yet everything becomes skeptical under government management. That has been proven under Trudeau, who has wasted too much money for too long now.
I really wish it was true pharmacare coverage but I'm even more happier and glad that diabetics will now have coverage no matter what I have seen so many people struggle to survive affording those medications and devices they deserve it more then most of us
@carlaiveglia5488 my dad and aunt had it my dad had coverage my aunt didn't everyone in the family used to give some of all there supplies to her doctors helped out with samples it's wrong the things we give money to but don't take care of diabetes patience
as someone from BC, i had no idea other provinces didn't cover these things. Im really glad others will have better access to medications and supplies thanks to this.
Meanwhile the government is promoting a "national dental plan" while not informing dentists what is going on and misleading the public about what/how much is covered. What is happening to our country?!
This is a big step in the right direction. It's nuts that you can go to your doctor, get diagnosed, get a prescription, but then not be able to afford your medication. Hopefully more gets added to the list, but I'm almost certain it won't if the conservatives/Poilievre get into power. They're too busy making life harder for trans people and whining about climate action to make any meaningful improvements to our lives.
Ever hear of Trillium? It's an Ontario plan that covers drugs if you qualify by income on a sliding scale. My leukemia drug was $100,000 a year, faced with that at age 55 for the rest of my life. My user pay portion was $2200 a year.
We should not be covering type 2 diabetes medication. These people should be provided assistance to correct their diet and reverse their condition and if they do not follow as instructed they are left to their own to cover costs of medications that should be considered otherwise unnecessary.
This will add 10 to 15Bi a year according to the PBO to Federal Government budget that will have to: Cut from other programs or Raise Taxes or Add to the fast rising debt. So who will pay for it?
Just spitballing here but how about the corporations who currently pay nothing for access to Canadian consumers? You're also not mentioning how much this will SAVE. Pre-emptive care saves its own cost many times over, consistently. Any time you invest in health care, you save money in the back end. Increased worker productivity. Fewer emergency procedures like abortions. Better controlled long-term health problems like diabetes, saving money on costly organ transplants, amputations, and rehabilitation. The corporations who benefit from that productivity should pay for it.
@CDN_Bookmouse what company don't pay taxes? Corporate taxes in Canada range from 28% to 40% depending the province. Raise ot even more and they will cross the border in US states that taxes are lower
Off the bat...cover the likes of Ozempic to diabetics ONLY. And that goes for the private coverage. If you want to lose weight, watch what you eat otherwise pay for the drug. In fact you should pay twice the price!
“Free”? How does that work, exactly? Taxes from Canadian citizens & business pay for most things in Canada. Or are we getting donations from the big pharmaceutical companies? That would be very generous, but not a sensible way to operate & get profits.
@@EnsignRedshirtRicky Right, don't forget Stephen Harper's conservatives ran 6 straight deficits "The Harper government delivered a deficit of $5.8 billion in 2008-09. In subsequent years, his Conservative governments generated shortfalls of $55.6 billion in 2009-10; $33.4 billion in 2010-11; $26.3 billion in 2011-12; $18.4 billion for 2012-13; and $5.2 billion for 2013-14."
It's shorthand for "free at point of purchase", which you know, but you wanted to make a disingenuous argument and pretend to be confused by completely normal and clear communication.
Im really happy for these steps taken. The insulin market is such a cash cow and knowing that the government is helping people cover life saving care is wonderful. Keep improving coverage responsible!
These benefits will be tremulously beneficial! as a university student paying $100 a month for psychiatric meds through loans this would be very helpful and take a step towards a more public healthcare system
This will finish off what is remaining of our healthcare. When government writes the check. The price explodes but costs are hidden. Fix that problem first.
Wow not mood disorders? I was so sick my husband made too much money the previous year for us to qualify for low income assistance. Except he was laid off at the time a senior and on pension so he was covered but he is 14 years older than me. I’m really sick with Fibromyalgia/ ME I have both severely, Osteoarthritis everywhere and will be looking at multiple replacement surgeries. All my diagnosis for AISH and all the paperwork is 23 years old doctors have moved, retired etc and I have to get all this paperwork from Alberta Health a very difficult job. I got turned down from AISH 3 times but I qualified 23 years ago when I went through testing physical and mental health. I was without my meds during much of COVID. I’m bipolar and really need my meds. It was torture. I was forced to leave my husband and go on welfare so I could get well. WTF? MY MARRIAGE IS OVER THANKS ALBERTA GOVERNMENT AND CANADA. Now I’m in a nightmare fight to live. I can’t afford much to eat. I couldn’t find a place to live either that was affordable I ended up homeless twice living in the Drop In Center. An absolute nightmare.
Cost is a hard one. See they mentioned how diabetes can BECOME far more expensive with hospitalizations and dialysis... which is covered under universal healthcare right now. Contraception when it fails or is not used causes huge costs to the government. In intervention, hospital, support costs. Even the regular medications if people are more willing to go get a prescription for say an antibiotic BEFORE an infection sends them to hospital... costs come down with an up front investment. Gets complicated real fast.
I used to go to a woman's health clinic in Guelph for my IUD. The really good plastic ones, that the Doctor would travel to California to purchase them. She then sold them to us for $10. The best deal around and the only one that I could use. It was the 70s, after all.
Nothing is free anywhere. It is still being paid for. That is misleading. I really wish that everyone would stop saying that. I think that ideally everyone should get a detailed invoice for any medical service to show the actual cost whether it is paid for by taxes or not. This way the taxpayer can make an informed decision on where and if we are being overcharged.
_"It is still being paid for"_ Yes, by taxes, just like public roads, so stop thinking you're making some sort of big-brained insight. As should be glaringly obvious if you're not completely obdurate, "free" in this context means "free at point of service". Again, just like public roads.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk Let's try to talk like adults, shall we? *(A)* No, taxpayers are not "broke". If the recent hyperinflation on groceries and/or rent and/or utilities has been a too-heavy burden, then blame capitalism - the corporations that provide those things have been making record profits. *(B)* If you have any sort of insurance, then not only are you already paying for someone else's losses and needs, but they are paying for yours. Universal healthcare is no different than, say, car or home insurance.
_"It's not free, its tax payer funded"_ So are public roads, so stop thinking you're making some sort of big-brained insight. As should be glaringly obvious if you're not completely obdurate, "free" in this context means "free at point of service". Again, just like public roads.
@@AlbertaGeek I love the "roads" argument. How does the $60M for arrive can fit into a service? How about the billions going to the WEF (yes, we fund them), the UN, the WHO, WE charities, etc. I could point out we spent $2B not buying helicopters for the military. If all I was funding was "public roads", etc., the sure, you have an argument. Unfortunately, you have no idea where most of your money is going. You aren't even allowed to know. I'll also point out a little fact to you. There are Canadians, me included, that pay for and have no access to health care. As for roads, us locals maintain (including snow removal) our roads, and we provide our own fire services. The road joins into a highway that is there so the privileged urban class can get their Chinese made goods transported to them. Please stop it with telling me how much I'm getting for the money I've give the government. When I retired, 72% of my earnings were going to one tax or another. 28% more and I would have been a slave of the state.
@@ickster23 _"There are Canadians, me included, that pay for and have no access to health care"_ You're right - universal healthcare should be be expanded.
Is it fair to say that contraceptives are mostly covered by third party insurance given that most would fall under family plans, coordination of benefits, mandatory university insurance, job benefits? So given this, private insurers can delist these drugs and pass to the public payor? Exactly who ends up paying for these drugs, and isn't there already provincial plans that can help those that can't necessarily afford these, and which both these drugs are covered under Trillium (public payor in Ontario). What is the eligibility, what will be the deductible, copay, etc?
I'm in BC and I was shocked when my friend told me you guys don't have fair pharmacare like we have here. I hope something changes so you guys have an easier time getting medications.
@@SM-lx4mn Oh great, that's wonderful you're willing to expand your knowledge of... oh wait - that was a sarcastic "sure". 🫤 So, it IS the articulate & enlightened response I expected, sadly. I knew better than to hold out any hope you'd actually have the brain power to learn anything that might advance your understanding. *sigh* I'd try to spell out why these 2 meds are a great place to start & lead the way for more life saving meds but I don't have the time nor the crayons to explain it so your brain could grasp it. 🤷🏼♀️
@@MapleBlondieCr8s Writing all of that because someone said "sure" is wild. It does absolutely nothing to further your argument and reflects poorly on you. Either engage meaningfully/prove and validate your point or disengage entirely/dont reply. If you would actually like to leave a short synopsis of why you said these drugs are life saving so people can learn from you and understand, absolutely do that. Otherwise, lets leave this comment thread because its neither useful or productive use of either of our time, and frankly youre coming off a bit rude with some of your last statements Going off because I just said sure is a bit unhinged.
@@SM-lx4mn ah, but it achieved what I originally wanted - an opening into a respectful dialogue as opposed to a one word dismissal. I apologize for the method but I'm grateful to you for responding. And I'll leave the synopsis a bit later and seriously, I'm grateful. 💐☮️
i see you make no mention of the Trillium Government Drug assistance plan which helps canadians who cant afford the high price of their prescriptions to be able to get their drugs at a manageable cost.
The thing about “Universal Pharmacare” is that it sounds great just like universal healthcare. However, it probably reduces access to medications and could reduce choice to specialty medications that are currently covered by private insurers. Then, once such a program expands and assume a “single payer” system it will need to be funded by the public system (taxes) versus being paid primarily by the private sector, as it is now. So, Canadians are going to be impacted financially as the costs move from the private to public sector. Currently, the public sees fairly high confidential discounts with drugs covered by the public plans as the provinces already negotiated together. “More leverage” is unlikely going to be the case as a lot of new innovative medications are from global pharmaceutical companies. If there is more pricing pressure than there is now, the likelihood is that the drug won’t be launched in Canada/removed from the market and thus lead to long term reduced access to innovative therapeutics. Not to mention currently Canada is one of the slowest countries out of the G20 to provide public access to medications (I think the stat is #19). Our current public/private system allows for those with private plans to have a better chance of coverage and earlier access to new medicines.
@@karlpark8575 Perhaps in some cases but the public can only see the list prices of medications. In a lot of cases, our confidential prices for general and specialty medications are quite a bit lower than the UK. That being said, the UK system has a lot of advantages and continues to fund innovative medicines, however, slower than our current private system and once a drug isn’t recommended for funding, there’s no chance to get it unless you pay the full amount out of pocket. Finally, due to how we’re set up now in Canada, we can’t run the way the UK does without major system and infrastructure changes which is $$$$ (aka your taxpayer money) Which begs me to ask, why doesn’t the government work on targeting coverage those who are underinsured or not insured? Instead of for the entire population in which case the vast majority is adequately insured. Especially in an economy where there needs to be prioritization in numerous policy topics (ie. sustainability, affordable housing).
You make it sound like bribery.... Governments are supposed to pass legislation and bills in order to make things better for the people its supposed to represent. lol
Not all coverage is created equal at the provincial level... Also even if it was how is that a waste? It simply means standardizing the policy at the federal level rather than leaving it provincial, it also allows the Government to have far more leverage to negotiate prices.
A issue I could see with birth control is not everyone can tolorate or even take it for certain medical issues also the same for an IUD. You need to offer more options. Women in today's world need to look out for themselves and take responsibility. You can't and shouldn't ever depend on a man to do this!
The government could also utilize profits from casinos and other gambling enterprises. Some of this money already goes into community ventures like green spaces, parklets, water parks, and healthcare.
They should cover gym/fitness memberhip and mandate people actually go and stay fit. Create programs to make excercise and eathing healthy fun and normal. Kinda like Swartzneiger did and Participation in the 80s. They need to do more than just throw money at things. And their use of commitees to draft rules is so outdated. No modern organization throws together a plan made by a comittee and says project complete.
It’s a country where the top 20% of the taxable population owns >65% of it’s money and net resources. Isn’t averaging it out across every taxpayer a little misleading?😂
I have got news for you. Only a limited number of medications will be covered. That is the case in all countries that have Medicare. For instance, in NZ only Lantus is covered as a long acting insulin - Levemir and Tresiba are NOT covered.
One of the causes of homelessness is mental health. Surely that should be a priority
That will probably be next.
the counselling practices are not ready for this. there's already not enough therapists out there, but making them free would make getting one just as hard as finding a GP...
@@fallingpizza11 "Making them free would make getting one just as hard as finding a GP" you're slowly beginning to understand the problem with socialism 😁
Yeah I was one of them for 6 weeks living in a shelter because I had to leave my husband because we couldn’t get prescription coverage and was an untreated bipolar patient. I got so sick I took 3 knives down to the river and walked a long ways on the river trail it was cold I thought nobody would be there. I was going to slash my neck and wanted to be far away from people to find me but a skier came along and I realized this wasn’t going to work I needed to be where I wouldn’t be found so I went home. Magically I survived the next few months but had to leave my husband so I could be treated. I was forced to flee go on welfare and get my mental health back. It’s so wrong. I believe seriously mentally ill people should get coverage no matter what! I almost died I was so close to killing myself in a way that would be guaranteed to work.
Now my health is getting worse because I can’t afford very much food after I pay rent. What I’m given to live on I would like to see Danielle Smith and Trudeau to try living on $950 a month no cheating. Just imagine the whining and the woe is me if they had to live on nothing but peanut butter.
I don’t care how much it costs. Covering mental health care costs would be more than offset as it would get people back to work, make them healthier and more efficient workers, get more people off the streets and shorten wait times to mental health facilities, psychiatrists, counseling, GP’s… the list goes on and on. It would be more than worth it over the long term to have all those people driving the economy and paying taxes rather than dragging down the economy and health care system down into a dark spiral….
Well said. Taxpayers should not be charged with people who are taking birth control and we should not be forced to pay for insulin that is thousands of dollars a year for one person. Insurance companies should be forced to cover insulin not the taxpayers. Medical insurance should be covering all medications since we pay a fortune already.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk you do realize that single-payer is the single most cost effective way to pay for healthcare. why have hundreds of middlemen insurance companies siphoning off money for themselves when the govt can remove the middlemen and bulk order meds.
@@fallingpizza11 I'm sorry lol but where the heck did you come up with that crap lol the worker paid insurance coverage has nothing to do with the government. Only the insurance premiums are regulated by the government. Workers taxpayers pay through their employer and pay for their own premiums. So if we are paying for our own insurance and pay whatever is over and above their costs. Only lower class taxpayers and welfare citizens would only benefit from taxpayers paid handouts for their prescription drugs
@@fallingpizza11 Because the government is incompetent. And no single payer is not "the most cost effective", its full of government waste and inefficiency because when you put people in charge with no skin in the game, they don't care about failing to provide a service.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk Well said. But unfortunately Canada is the land of "gimme gimme" at the expense of people who actually earn a living. Lots of people looking for a "free" handout. No wonder the USA dominates Canada in terms of productivity.
I'm so happy about this. Right now my employer covers my medications, but I'm terrified of what will happen when I retire and have a paltry $5000~/year limit on drugs with a private plan. The cost of my drugs without insurance is a good $20,000/year (mostly arthritis meds).
Take care of your citizens and they will respect your leadership, it's not rocket science, do what is right.
“Free” meaning as paid through taxation which I think it’s the best way to ensure most or all citizens have adequate healthcare coverage and drug benefits.
$40B cost is high but healthy citizens is a productive citizen while a sick citizen cost money as they still need care.
I agree. Hopefully some of the funding can come from things like EHT (Employer Health Tax) in Ontario. This drug plan should lower health insurance costs for companies, so they can just redirect those savings to paying higher EHT.
exactly it does help for those who actually need it. someone i know got hit by a car completely at the guys fault and now needs upwards of $200 a month in meds she didn’t plan on needing. if they weren’t covered that would put a huge financial hinder onto the rest of their life
that being said canada is also the place to hand out tax covered morphine for no reason
Even though neither of these changes will benefit me I am thankful and happy that many people will be better able to keep themselves healthy with less financial strain.
Where do you think the money will come from? Higher taxes maybe? Print more money, resulting in high inflation? Nothing is free, there is always a price to pay.
The economy benefits when these things are paid for in bulk and individuals can spend their money on other things
@@kalenluckMaybe, but the Trudeau Government's financial record has me skeptical.
@@ScubaSteveCanada This will save money. Someone that can't afford to monitor or treat their diabetes will cost the health system more when their disease progresses. An unplanned pregnancy could cost the government way more if the women requires social assistance to take care of the child. Being able to pay for mental health medication helps society in general and would allow some to re-enter the workforce. Think positively and not, "OMG I might have to pay an extra $1.00 per paycheck in taxes." Note: There was no mention of taxes rising, however if they want to tax multi-millionaires and billionaires more, great.
@@kalenluckAre you new, or just high? The companies massively overcharge when it is the Gov making the purchase and the per unit costs tend to be far more than when they were over-the-counter. EPI pens jumped from about $10 each to $150+ because of this kind of policy. If the Gov was also running the drug company then it would save money. Until then it is just another waste of taxpayer money.
I see some people pushing back on this, but as a type 1 diabetic that is struggling to pay rent and being able to afford food, this would help big time. Most people don’t know that a vial of insulin that will only last me 5-6 days costs over 200$.
I’m so happy for you it’s so grate that would can be able to put aside extra money for your family and self
Not my problem
@@matrixripp09 If you lack sympathy then why should your life matter your just being selfish its not like the taxes are being raised and everyone will be contributing to this even the people that need the health care
@@Down.D.Stairs.because some people are heartless, apathetic and cynical and they are proud to display it.
Not my problem either yet I sleep better at night knowing I live in a country that cares for it's people.@@matrixripp09
Canada's healthcare isn't universal full stop.
what makes it not universal? we all get it.
@@fallingpizza11it doesn't cover everything. I might have to sit with a mild infection for a year due to lack of dental.
@Tomyum19it's not that simple, and even then you're likely still looking at at least 6 months before you can actually use any benefits
Also compared to america your looking at a longer wait with no help when you factor in the amount of time you worked to earn money for the cost of whatever medical care you needed be grateful for what you have and how it saves lives in more ways than one
Not even close, Medication or "PharmaCare" is HEALTHCARE!!! They are not different Entities!, especially if your Calling it Universal! and its Medication that does ALL THE WORK for the "Healthcare" system and its Nurses and Doctors, whether you leave the mostly basic 10-30minute doctor appointment where they just randomly prescribe meds until one works, or whether you get wheeled out the Hospital after Surgery with a bag of Meds...
Happy to see this but they need to find the money for it without raising any sort of new taxes. I'm taxed way too much as is.
That's the problem with socialism. Eventually you run out of other peoples money.
@@potatopotato8360So when did you buy your firemen? Were they cheaper than your policemen or was it a package deal? And who did you pay to make sure your food and water are safe? Does the company that maintains your roads and bridges also manage the safety of your air travel?
think of it this way: we all pay a little more and then get everything (eventually) for free. just like we do for medical stuff. i'm sure lots of people thought this exact same thing when tommy douglas proposed universal health care decades ago, but can you imagine paying out of pocket at the ER or doctor's office now?
Maybe Amazon can give the government some spare change from their couch…
@@OriharaKaoruvery good point. Many people today are too young to be aware of this
I paid $400 for an IUD 6 years ago that I had to get removed less than a year later because it caused a lot of issues. I moved to the UK shortly after getting my IUD and if I had waited to get it here, I would have gotten it for free. I'm glad Canada is finally waking up.
Yeah, the store has mine, I wonder when this kicks in? Because it’s expensive!
Well as a taxpayer I don't want to pay for your contraception choices. If you decided to use the pill you can get free samples from the health unit or from social services for women. Taxpayers are not responsible for any extra costs associated with costs incurred by taxes above and beyond personal expenses.
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk welcome to living in a society. I'm sure lots of people don't want to pay for things that affect you but not themselves. They have to live with knowing a functional society tries to support EVERYONE. Of course governments aren't ever going to get it 100%, that's unfortunately the nature of government.
@@gargwinvinesnake6961 how does paying for insulin and contraception choices benefit the whole society and not just two groups of people. Taxpayers always get the short end of the stick
Keeping your legs closed is free.
2 types of drugs is not what I understood pharmacare to be.
Hopefully more can be added, provided the conservatives/Poilievre doesn't get into power. There's no way the PCs would ever introduce something helpful like this.
@@danheuser5148 We will send that bill to you and anyone that votes for it.
The so-called birth control drugs also happen to be the first thing a Dr will prescribe women for many health issues, not specifically for contraception.
@@clobberella doctors are glorified pill pushers. they dont get paid to cure the underlaying cause.
@@danheuser5148 They will cut the program that the Conservative way cut cut cut check their history
I think the role of the health ministry is to control the prices and safety of drugs, not dole them out to a set of people at the expense of others. Control the prices of these drugs and get them access to them.
This is a fantastic start. Let's keep it coming.
I've been taking medication for my adrenal disorder since I was born, it's never been covered hope that changes. I have had this cost my whole life can't live without them, I've been taking them for 43 years.
I lived in Spain for a year and they have a system where you pay only a percentage of the cost of drugs. In some cases the state pays 50 or 70% percent of the cost in some 20% but most of drugs have a discount. It would be nice to have some help for medications, mostly for people that are old and need them.
I’m in agreement of the coverage needed. Yet everything becomes skeptical under government management. That has been proven under Trudeau, who has wasted too much money for too long now.
I really wish it was true pharmacare coverage but I'm even more happier and glad that diabetics will now have coverage no matter what I have seen so many people struggle to survive affording those medications and devices they deserve it more then most of us
Thank you very kind. Diabetic care is soo expensive it’s hard to live a normal life as it is
Yes my daughters diabetic meds are 500$ every 5 weeks
@carlaiveglia5488 my dad and aunt had it my dad had coverage my aunt didn't everyone in the family used to give some of all there supplies to her doctors helped out with samples it's wrong the things we give money to but don't take care of diabetes patience
as someone from BC, i had no idea other provinces didn't cover these things. Im really glad others will have better access to medications and supplies thanks to this.
Meanwhile the government is promoting a "national dental plan" while not informing dentists what is going on and misleading the public about what/how much is covered. What is happening to our country?!
It covers kids under 12. Most kids don't get their adult teeth till after 12. So I dont know what to tell ya its all for show.
Just go to a long term care center and see how many drugs those people take. Disgusting.
This is a big step in the right direction. It's nuts that you can go to your doctor, get diagnosed, get a prescription, but then not be able to afford your medication. Hopefully more gets added to the list, but I'm almost certain it won't if the conservatives/Poilievre get into power. They're too busy making life harder for trans people and whining about climate action to make any meaningful improvements to our lives.
Conservative politicians do NOT care about people unless they are rich pals. Corporations not paying high earners top 5% not paying their share
Ever hear of Trillium? It's an Ontario plan that covers drugs if you qualify by income on a sliding scale. My leukemia drug was $100,000 a year, faced with that at age 55 for the rest of my life. My user pay portion was $2200 a year.
Coverage for catastrophic illnesses is what's needed most desperately.
Ive heard of Trillium but the user pay portion is so high for some.
@@carlaiveglia5488 yes it id👍!!
It's a great and needed investment in Canadians. Getting services like this is the WHOLE POINT of paying taxes.
AH, So its all political than. has nothing to do with helping people... Again!
Sure like that word free. All while taxes go up and in turn so does the cost of living. Food prices to follow along with rent and fuel. 😅
This is a ridiculous. I love the over exaggerated examples. Let us keep our money and you don't have to give all the handouts, daddy
as for the condoms, here on ontario most health centres where you get your vaccines done offer free condoms to people
Ozimpic is covered ......! Im a type 2 diabetic living in Canada, and I dont have to pay for ozempic😊
They didn't say how many billions it will cost yet.
The taxpayers
We should not be covering type 2 diabetes medication. These people should be provided assistance to correct their diet and reverse their condition and if they do not follow as instructed they are left to their own to cover costs of medications that should be considered otherwise unnecessary.
It helps type 1 as well and type 1 needs it to be alive
Pretty brave allowing comments, CBC...
This is just nonsense, 2 drugs is not pharmacare.
It's a start. We'd never get this from the conservatives/Poilievre.
@@danheuser5148 we wouldn’t get it from the liberals either if there wasn’t a coalition.
@@robindaniels2987 The coalition would never happen with Conservatives because they don't care. They're not even close to being on the same page.
Ontario has provincials pharma care called Trillium that covers most prescription drugs
@@danheuser5148taxpayers don't want to pay for someone else's medicine either
Free ? Taxes pay for that nothing is free
Why are you not covering one of Trudeau's many recent scandals?
More taxes, more government control… IT’S NOT FREE
I'm so lucky to be a Canadian ♥️🇨🇦♥️
This will add 10 to 15Bi a year according to the PBO to Federal Government budget that will have to: Cut from other programs or Raise Taxes or Add to the fast rising debt. So who will pay for it?
Raise taxes then.
Just spitballing here but how about the corporations who currently pay nothing for access to Canadian consumers? You're also not mentioning how much this will SAVE. Pre-emptive care saves its own cost many times over, consistently. Any time you invest in health care, you save money in the back end. Increased worker productivity. Fewer emergency procedures like abortions. Better controlled long-term health problems like diabetes, saving money on costly organ transplants, amputations, and rehabilitation. The corporations who benefit from that productivity should pay for it.
@@CDN_Bookmouserich Canadians should absolutely be paying taxes
@CDN_Bookmouse what company don't pay taxes? Corporate taxes in Canada range from 28% to 40% depending the province. Raise ot even more and they will cross the border in US states that taxes are lower
@RhomboMus big fortune taxes unfortunately didn't work anywhere. Search what happened in France .
one very question that was miss who paid for it and where the money will come from
Off the bat...cover the likes of Ozempic to diabetics ONLY. And that goes for the private coverage.
If you want to lose weight, watch what you eat otherwise pay for the drug. In fact you should pay twice the price!
there would be a magical spike in diabetics
Found the mad conservative who hates everyone
It’s about time
“Free”? How does that work, exactly? Taxes from Canadian citizens & business pay for most things in Canada. Or are we getting donations from the big pharmaceutical companies? That would be very generous, but not a sensible way to operate & get profits.
The Lieberal Money Tree is magic.
Universal healthcare, paramedic, fire, police, roads the list goes on…
@@EnsignRedshirtRicky Right, don't forget Stephen Harper's conservatives ran 6 straight deficits "The Harper government delivered a deficit of $5.8 billion in 2008-09. In subsequent years, his Conservative governments generated shortfalls of $55.6 billion in 2009-10; $33.4 billion in 2010-11; $26.3 billion in 2011-12; $18.4 billion for 2012-13; and $5.2 billion for 2013-14."
It's shorthand for "free at point of purchase", which you know, but you wanted to make a disingenuous argument and pretend to be confused by completely normal and clear communication.
@@GamesFromSpace The Tucker Carlson Maneuver, as it's known elsewhere
This makes no sense. You should pay for your own drugs.
I have Asthma and take 2 steroid inhalers daily. Without insurance it would cost me about $3500 a year to breathe properly.
When is this starting to take place?
Bout time we figured out how to set this up...
it's a start! So glad the ndp got this ball rolling. They deserve a huge amount of the credit.
Ozempic should be available for diabetes as it would hugely cut health care costs and prevent a lot of disability.
It is I'm on Ozimpic a type2 diabetic living in Ontario it's covered if your Diabetic
Im really happy for these steps taken. The insulin market is such a cash cow and knowing that the government is helping people cover life saving care is wonderful. Keep improving coverage responsible!
More taxes on the productive and debt for all. No thanks.
I’m praying they add life saving drugs for transplant patients. Our medication is about $ 500 monthly
These benefits will be tremulously beneficial! as a university student paying $100 a month for psychiatric meds through loans this would be very helpful and take a step towards a more public healthcare system
This will finish off what is remaining of our healthcare. When government writes the check. The price explodes but costs are hidden. Fix that problem first.
Wow not mood disorders? I was so sick my husband made too much money the previous year for us to qualify for low income assistance. Except he was laid off at the time a senior and on pension so he was covered but he is 14 years older than me. I’m really sick with Fibromyalgia/ ME I have both severely, Osteoarthritis everywhere and will be looking at multiple replacement surgeries. All my diagnosis for AISH and all the paperwork is 23 years old doctors have moved, retired etc and I have to get all this paperwork from Alberta Health a very difficult job. I got turned down from AISH 3 times but I qualified 23 years ago when I went through testing physical and mental health. I was without my meds during much of COVID. I’m bipolar and really need my meds. It was torture. I was forced to leave my husband and go on welfare so I could get well. WTF? MY MARRIAGE IS OVER THANKS ALBERTA GOVERNMENT AND CANADA. Now I’m in a nightmare fight to live. I can’t afford much to eat. I couldn’t find a place to live either that was affordable I ended up homeless twice living in the Drop In Center. An absolute nightmare.
This will drive up prices
Cost is a hard one. See they mentioned how diabetes can BECOME far more expensive with hospitalizations and dialysis... which is covered under universal healthcare right now. Contraception when it fails or is not used causes huge costs to the government. In intervention, hospital, support costs. Even the regular medications if people are more willing to go get a prescription for say an antibiotic BEFORE an infection sends them to hospital... costs come down with an up front investment. Gets complicated real fast.
I don't understand why Alberta wouldnt want this...
Get get for a increase in everything we buy
$1000/year per person. $4000/year for a family of 4. Not cheap either.
I used to go to a woman's health clinic in Guelph for my IUD. The really good plastic ones, that the Doctor would travel to California to purchase them. She then sold them to us for $10. The best deal around and the only one that I could use. It was the 70s, after all.
Nothing is free anywhere. It is still being paid for. That is misleading. I really wish that everyone would stop saying that. I think that ideally everyone should get a detailed invoice for any medical service to show the actual cost whether it is paid for by taxes or not. This way the taxpayer can make an informed decision on where and if we are being overcharged.
_"It is still being paid for"_
Yes, by taxes, just like public roads, so stop thinking you're making some sort of big-brained insight. As should be glaringly obvious if you're not completely obdurate, "free" in this context means "free at point of service". Again, just like public roads.
@@AlbertaGeek "...so stop thinking you're making some sort of big-brained insight. " Quite the projection artists I see.
@@EnsignRedshirtRicky So "Nuh-uh, _you_ are!" is the best you can come up with?
@@AlbertaGeekI'm sorry but taxpayers are broke and don't want to pay for someone else's medicine
@@PerryChelsberg-so4jk Let's try to talk like adults, shall we?
*(A)* No, taxpayers are not "broke". If the recent hyperinflation on groceries and/or rent and/or utilities has been a too-heavy burden, then blame capitalism - the corporations that provide those things have been making record profits.
*(B)* If you have any sort of insurance, then not only are you already paying for someone else's losses and needs, but they are paying for yours. Universal healthcare is no different than, say, car or home insurance.
Why female contraception is covered but male's does not? I would like gov to pay for my condom expanses. So unfair.
Cry me a river.
condoms are free at any std clinic.
Condoms are so much cheaper to buy than birth control or plan B... 🤡
@@alchemical.fitness his feelings don't care about facts.
With your male victim attitude I don't think that expense is as high as you make it out to be.
It's not free, its tax payer funded. All things government are tax payers funded; stop saying free, it never is and never will be. Free.
it is free though
money is printed with out value
tax is wealth transfer
_"It's not free, its tax payer funded"_
So are public roads, so stop thinking you're making some sort of big-brained insight. As should be glaringly obvious if you're not completely obdurate, "free" in this context means "free at point of service". Again, just like public roads.
@@AlbertaGeek I love the "roads" argument. How does the $60M for arrive can fit into a service? How about the billions going to the WEF (yes, we fund them), the UN, the WHO, WE charities, etc. I could point out we spent $2B not buying helicopters for the military. If all I was funding was "public roads", etc., the sure, you have an argument. Unfortunately, you have no idea where most of your money is going. You aren't even allowed to know.
I'll also point out a little fact to you. There are Canadians, me included, that pay for and have no access to health care. As for roads, us locals maintain (including snow removal) our roads, and we provide our own fire services. The road joins into a highway that is there so the privileged urban class can get their Chinese made goods transported to them. Please stop it with telling me how much I'm getting for the money I've give the government. When I retired, 72% of my earnings were going to one tax or another. 28% more and I would have been a slave of the state.
@@AlbertaGeek My statement was clear, All government funded items are tax payer paid. ALL. There is no "free" in context, it is not Free.
@@ickster23 _"There are Canadians, me included, that pay for and have no access to health care"_
You're right - universal healthcare should be be expanded.
hell yeah!! Finally we are going the right direction
Yay more socialism! /s
yeyyy more Trudeau taxes! goofy guy
Toward bankruptcy and collapse, that is.
We will need to see a doctor to get the prescriptions. 😂
When???? When can I go pick up my prescriptions?
Load up on birth control pills and insulin then sell it for the other 99.99999% of meds you actually need?
Is it fair to say that contraceptives are mostly covered by third party insurance given that most would fall under family plans, coordination of benefits, mandatory university insurance, job benefits? So given this, private insurers can delist these drugs and pass to the public payor? Exactly who ends up paying for these drugs, and isn't there already provincial plans that can help those that can't necessarily afford these, and which both these drugs are covered under Trillium (public payor in Ontario). What is the eligibility, what will be the deductible, copay, etc?
It’s not free!!!
I had a client he was supposed to pay around 10k cad per month, but only paying a hundred or so for his meds.
Alberta says no….
No. Alberta's Premier says no and Albertans are pissed.
Quebec as well. The two provinces that make the most noise about separating from Canada. I'm sure that's just a coincidence.
I'm in BC and I was shocked when my friend told me you guys don't have fair pharmacare like we have here. I hope something changes so you guys have an easier time getting medications.
@@checkfactschecking
Mostly NDP voters.
Alberta has opted out…
Of course it has...😑
So has Quebec.
The cbc work for the government! If you like that, being manipulated then keep watching.
😂 putting contraceptives above other essential LIFE SAVING drugs is just WILD
Securing the feminine vote is critical to the LPC.
Go educate yourself on the COMPLETE uses for each of these meds... they ARE life saving. 🙄🤦🏼♀️
@@SM-lx4mn Oh great, that's wonderful you're willing to expand your knowledge of...
oh wait - that was a sarcastic "sure". 🫤
So, it IS the articulate & enlightened response I expected, sadly.
I knew better than to hold out any hope you'd actually have the brain power to learn anything that might advance your understanding.
*sigh*
I'd try to spell out why these 2 meds are a great place to start & lead the way for more life saving meds but I don't have the time nor the crayons to explain it so your brain could grasp it. 🤷🏼♀️
@@MapleBlondieCr8s Writing all of that because someone said "sure" is wild. It does absolutely nothing to further your argument and reflects poorly on you. Either engage meaningfully/prove and validate your point or disengage entirely/dont reply.
If you would actually like to leave a short synopsis of why you said these drugs are life saving so people can learn from you and understand, absolutely do that. Otherwise, lets leave this comment thread because its neither useful or productive use of either of our time, and frankly youre coming off a bit rude with some of your last statements
Going off because I just said sure is a bit unhinged.
@@SM-lx4mn ah, but it achieved what I originally wanted - an opening into a respectful dialogue as opposed to a one word dismissal.
I apologize for the method but I'm grateful to you for responding.
And I'll leave the synopsis a bit later and seriously, I'm grateful. 💐☮️
i see you make no mention of the Trillium Government Drug assistance plan which helps canadians who cant afford the high price of their prescriptions to be able to get their drugs at a manageable cost.
I can't believe it wasn't already covered
I am located in Cape Breton where we have the highest rate of hospital deaths. I wonder if this applies to epilepsy meds?
That is good, for now.
The thing about “Universal Pharmacare” is that it sounds great just like universal healthcare. However, it probably reduces access to medications and could reduce choice to specialty medications that are currently covered by private insurers. Then, once such a program expands and assume a “single payer” system it will need to be funded by the public system (taxes) versus being paid primarily by the private sector, as it is now. So, Canadians are going to be impacted financially as the costs move from the private to public sector.
Currently, the public sees fairly high confidential discounts with drugs covered by the public plans as the provinces already negotiated together. “More leverage” is unlikely going to be the case as a lot of new innovative medications are from global pharmaceutical companies. If there is more pricing pressure than there is now, the likelihood is that the drug won’t be launched in Canada/removed from the market and thus lead to long term reduced access to innovative therapeutics.
Not to mention currently Canada is one of the slowest countries out of the G20 to provide public access to medications (I think the stat is #19). Our current public/private system allows for those with private plans to have a better chance of coverage and earlier access to new medicines.
Compare the diabetic medication cost in UK, Canada and US. UK has much lower cost than Canada including non-generic prescription drugs.
@@karlpark8575 Perhaps in some cases but the public can only see the list prices of medications. In a lot of cases, our confidential prices for general and specialty medications are quite a bit lower than the UK. That being said, the UK system has a lot of advantages and continues to fund innovative medicines, however, slower than our current private system and once a drug isn’t recommended for funding, there’s no chance to get it unless you pay the full amount out of pocket. Finally, due to how we’re set up now in Canada, we can’t run the way the UK does without major system and infrastructure changes which is $$$$ (aka your taxpayer money)
Which begs me to ask, why doesn’t the government work on targeting coverage those who are underinsured or not insured? Instead of for the entire population in which case the vast majority is adequately insured. Especially in an economy where there needs to be prioritization in numerous policy topics (ie. sustainability, affordable housing).
All i see is a desperate try to hold onto power
You make it sound like bribery.... Governments are supposed to pass legislation and bills in order to make things better for the people its supposed to represent. lol
This is such a waste the provinces already cover this
Not all coverage is created equal at the provincial level...
Also even if it was how is that a waste? It simply means standardizing the policy at the federal level rather than leaving it provincial, it also allows the Government to have far more leverage to negotiate prices.
Antidepressants should be covered.
This will SLOOWWWLLLYYY get released so they can" Get it right". This is said about all bills passed these days. Why?
A issue I could see with birth control is not everyone can tolorate or even take it for certain medical issues also the same for an IUD. You need to offer more options. Women in today's world need to look out for themselves and take responsibility. You can't and shouldn't ever depend on a man to do this!
The government could also utilize profits from casinos and other gambling enterprises. Some of this money already goes into community ventures like green spaces, parklets, water parks, and healthcare.
Quebec said no?
This plan is free to no one. We all pay in higher taxes !
We pay different amounts; the people with more cover the people with less…
@@bigpurplepops
Keep dreaming. This is Canada !
@@bigpurplepops
And this is what is considered fair and equal. SMH.
They should cover gym/fitness memberhip and mandate people actually go and stay fit. Create programs to make excercise and eathing healthy fun and normal. Kinda like Swartzneiger did and Participation in the 80s. They need to do more than just throw money at things. And their use of commitees to draft rules is so outdated. No modern organization throws together a plan made by a comittee and says project complete.
Ummm - none of that will help with genetic conditions though...
That won’t help type 1 diabetics
40 billion is an annual cost of $4,000 per taxpayer ! OUCH !!!
So much for free healthcare !
It’s a country where the top 20% of the taxable population owns >65% of it’s money and net resources.
Isn’t averaging it out across every taxpayer a little misleading?😂
@bigpurplepops
No, because it should be averaged out equally
@@bigpurplepops
And also account for at least 70% of all taxes paid.
Good for the Liberals and NDP! We need all drugs included. It is disgraceful that we are so behind Europe on this.
I have got news for you. Only a limited number of medications will be covered. That is the case in all countries that have Medicare. For instance, in NZ only Lantus is covered as a long acting insulin - Levemir and Tresiba are NOT covered.
Same as it works in Poland, so no Canada isn`t first
What about my Asthma medication?
Where to apply.
excellent news!
Hmm I feel the way the video ended mentioning Trudeau may need to stay in power was a psychological push to vote for the Liberals lol
This is government funded media after all, so no surprise there, they want to protect their funding
I mean they weren't wrong, if the Conservatives get in instead of the NDP or Liberal party, these changes will likely not continue.
so you think conservatives will allow free contraception for women?
@@TimeLemon very true just saying it could be left unspoken. I generally vote Liberal and NDP so this is in no way me supporting Tory.
Andrew did not mention Trudeau, you did. I saw that dude😂
That last bit was disgusting, but whatever.
At the end, who pays for these?
Really bad timing for this
figures that anti-depression drugs are not covered. That's what MAID is for, right?
The choice for the diabetic meds was because Mr. Singh announced that he had promised a young person that he would get the coverage.
And you believe that was the only reason? Guuuuuulible much?
NO James I'm not that gullible. It's all about politics and corruption and a whole lot more that goes on behind the scenes@@checkfactschecking
So what happens s to people already paying into benefits plans??? Get double taxed?
Who's updating Wikipedia articles?