The results of the ongoing renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement could have an impact on how much Canadians pay for their medications in the future, according to one expert. In an article originally published by not-for-profit media outlet the Conversation, Joel Lexchin, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Toronto, pointed out that the […]
Universal pharmacare is an idea that has been kicking around for decades in Canada. Yet despite numerous studies calling for a universal single-payer pharmacare program to ensure all Canadians have access to prescription drugs, the country’s drug system remains a patchwork of public and private plans. This spring, the House of Commons’ standing committee on […]
The federal government’s plan to increasingly regulate pharmaceutical costs could mean Canadians with rare diseases may lose access to new innovative drug treatments, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute. In 2019, the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is planning to use new rules for establishing drug prices with the goal of lowering costs. “Drugs for […]
Pharmacare and flexible annuity options top the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s list of recommendations for the upcoming 2019 federal budget. In its submission, the association stated it’s supportive of the work being done through the federal government’s advisory council on the implementation of pharmacare, introduced in last year’s budget. However, it also said it’s important to […]
The job of a pension consultant has evolved considerably over Bita Jenab’s 30-year career in the field. The mid-1990s saw a greater focus on governance and the arrival of the investment consultant, while the 2000s featured a mass move to defined contribution plans and significant changes to pension legislation. Through all of that, plan sponsors […]
In a meeting in Saint Andrews, N.B., on Friday, provincial and territorial premiers met to discuss ways to improve health care for Canadians, including the implementation of a national pharmacare program. Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, was also in the meeting and said she is encouraged that there is support […]
With an eye toward dismantling the barriers many Canadians face in accessing prescription drugs, the federal government is launching an online consultation process on national pharmacare. The government’s advisory council, introduced in the 2018 budget, is accepting views through an online questionnaire and written submissions. As well, the online platform will include a discussion forum. “Hearing directly from Canadians […]
The federal government has announced the appointment of the remaining members of its advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. Besides former Ontario health minister Dr. Eric Hoskins, who’s the chair of the advisory council, the members are: Mia Homsy, director general of the Institut du Québec, who will serve as vice-chair of the […]
Advocates for national pharmacare have misdiagnosed the nature of gaps in prescription drug plan coverage in Canada and have proposed the wrong solution, according to a new study by think-tank the Canadian Health Policy Institute. Based on Canada’s 2016 population of almost 36.3 million people, the study found close to 23.2 million had coverage through a private drug plan. The […]
With a national pharmacare program potentially on the horizon, many plan sponsors will be wondering about the impact on their benefits plans. At Benefits Canada‘s Calgary Benefits Summit on May 29, Joe Farago, executive director of health-care innovation at Innovative Medicines Canada, discussed some of the implications of national pharmacare. Farago began his session by […]