Earlier this week, a local constituent asked me, 乌鸦传媒淚s it true the federal government is now backing away from pharmacare?乌鸦传媒�
As a Member of Parliament, I regularly receive questions from citizens on a wide range of topics. However, this particular question was one I hadn乌鸦传媒檛 encountered before.
As is often the case, research is required乌鸦传媒攅specially given the vast scope of the federal government and the reality that many policy decisions, particularly those that may be controversial or unpopular, aren乌鸦传媒檛 always announced through official press releases.
So, let乌鸦传媒檚 return to the question: 乌鸦传媒淚s it true the federal government is now backing away from pharmacare?乌鸦传媒�
This wasn乌鸦传媒檛 a coffee shop rumour. It was reported in a national media outlet under the headline: 乌鸦传媒淗ealth advocates shocked as Carney Liberals back away from pharmacare program.乌鸦传媒�
To answer this properly, some background is necessary. The previous Liberal government, with strong support from the NDP, passed Bill C-64, titled 乌鸦传媒淎n Act respecting Pharmacare.乌鸦传媒�
The opening summary of Bill C-64 states: 乌鸦传媒淭his enactment sets out the principles that the Minister of Health is to consider when working towards the implementation of national universal pharmacare乌鸦传媒ξ谘淮綕
This was a key clarification: the bill did not establish a national pharmacare plan, contrary to what some media outlets mistakenly reported at the time乌鸦传媒攁nd continue to suggest.
Instead, Bill C-64 states: 乌鸦传媒淭he Minister may, if the Minister has entered into an agreement with a province or territory to do so, make payments to the province or territory in order to increase any existing public pharmacare coverage乌鸦传媒ξ谘淮綕
This clause is significant. It explicitly allows the federal government to provide funding to provinces to enhance their existing pharmacare programs乌鸦传媒攎ost of which, including B.C.乌鸦传媒檚, are already in place.
Following the passage of Bill C-64, that乌鸦传媒檚 exactly what happened. The former federal government signed agreements with B.C., P.E.I., Yukon, and Manitoba to cover certain medications for a four-year period. These agreements focused on expanding access to contraceptives and diabetes medications, with $1.5 billion allocated over five years.
It乌鸦传媒檚 worth noting that any federal government can enter into financial agreements with provinces at any time, provided Parliament approves the spending. I made this point during debate: Bill C-64 was not strictly required for such agreements.
So, what has changed to prompt headlines like 乌鸦传媒淗ealth advocates shocked as Carney Liberals back away from pharmacare program乌鸦传媒�? Formally, nothing has changed.
The concern seems to stem from the fact that the current federal Liberal government has not signed similar agreements with the remaining provinces and territories乌鸦传媒攁nd when asked, has not committed to doing so. They have not formally stated they are abandoning the legislation. The new Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has pledged to protect existing deals but has cited budget constraints and shifting priorities as reasons for not expanding them.
Health advocacy groups such as the Canadian Health Coalition and Diabetes Canada have publicly expressed concern over the lack of progress and transparency in implementing the next phase of pharmacare.
In my view, a more accurate headline would be: 乌鸦传媒淟ack of progress on pharmacare deals raises concerns.乌鸦传媒�
It also raises the issue of regional fairness and those Canadians who believe a national program should not depend on where you live as to whether you get the benefit of it. For those who live with the costs of diabetes and are not in these provinces may question and see this as a broken promise by the Carney Liberals who campaigned on National Pharmacare.
I chose to address this topic in this week乌鸦传媒檚 report to provide context for those who may have heard about these concerns and have questions. It乌鸦传媒檚 also a reminder that your local MLAs and MPs are here to help clarify government policies and decisions乌鸦传媒攁nd to provide accurate information.
My question this week: Are you concerned about these developments on the so-called National Pharmacare program?
You can reach me at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll-free at 1-800-665-8711.
