drug plan reform – Benefits Canada.com

Liberals table bill paving way for future pharmacare program a day before deadline

bmcgovern — Thu, 29 Feb 2024 20:00:25 +0000

Health Minister Mark Holland tabled a long-awaited bill Thursday meant to pave the way for national pharmacare and preserve a deal that secures the New Democratic Party’s support for the government in the House of Commons. The bill includes a program to cover birth control as well as diabetes drugs and supplies for anyone with […]

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CLHIA focusing on improving pharmacare, rare disease drug coverage in 2024

Sadie Janes — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:00:29 +0000

In the year ahead, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association will continue its advocacy efforts to ensure the federal government’s proposed pharmacare plan extends coverage for those who lack benefits without disrupting workplace benefits that millions of working Canadians rely on, says Stephen Frank, the association’s president and chief executive officer. The right approach to […]

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Liberals say pharmacare bill unlikely to pass this year, despite promise to NDP

bwolfe — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:00:22 +0000

Government House leader Karina Gould warned Tuesday the Liberals are unlikely to get a pharmacare bill passed by the end of the year, despite their promise to do so in an agreement with the New Democratic Party. “I don’t think we’re going to get it passed by the end of this year, but we’ll definitely […]

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National pharmacare program will cost $40BN annually with shift of $14BN in private insurance

Jennifer Paterson — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 13:00:45 +0000

The Parliamentary Budget Office is confirming the insurance industry’s projection that a single-payer model of national pharmacare program will cost $40 billion annually as a result of shifting more than $14 billion in private insurance coverage onto the government’s books. In a new report, the PBO estimated the cost of a single-payer universal drug plan to […]

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Sounding Board: Why do Quebec’s private drug plans pay higher pharmacy fees?

Jennifer Paterson — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 13:00:46 +0000

Unlike other Canadian provinces and jurisdictions, the Quebec government imposes rules and constraints on private drug plans that affects pharmacy costs. For example, in all provinces except Quebec, the amounts billed by pharmacies to private drug claims are controlled through the following measures: fees are displayed in pharmacies so patients can compare — however, the […]

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