Archive for the ‘Health Debates’ Category
If a mine is a nation-building project, why not universal pharmacare? Inside the big push to get Mark Carney behind it
Monday, October 27th, 2025
The type of pharmacare most advocates want to see the policy evolve into is a universal, single-payer model, where governments would foot the majority of prescription drug costs for all Canadians… tens of billions of dollars Canada shells out on prescription medications annually would be better spent within the country’s borders, bolstering domestic production capacity… The gaps exposed by COVID-19 — the procurement chaos, supply chain woes, equipment shortages and expiring oversupply — make some believe pharmacare holds the potential to strengthen Canada’s autonomy and security, too.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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The evidence is clear: National pharmacare for contraception can’t wait
Friday, October 17th, 2025
If Canada’s pre-existing mix of public and private insurance provided sufficient access to contraception, we would have seen little or no change when contraception became free in B.C. But… Our research showed a 49 per cent increase in the use of the most effective contraceptive methods when they were available at no cost.
Tags: Health, jurisdiction, participation, women, youth
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Health advocates call on Liberals to keep pharmacare promise ahead of budget
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Carney’s office declined to commit to signing more pharmacare deals over the summer, and promised only to protect what was in place… The law requires the national drug agency to develop a list of essential drugs for a national formulary and to work on a national bulk-purchasing strategy to bring prices down.
Tags: budget, Health, pharmaceutical, privatization
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Targeted Pharmacare Reforms Could Deliver Access Without a $40 Billion Price Tag
Thursday, September 18th, 2025
With 97 percent of Canadians already having access to some form of drug coverage, a new Conference Report by the C.D. Howe Institute finds that a fiscally responsible approach to universal pharmacare should focus on closing gaps in prescription drug coverage rather than replacing plans with a single-payer system.
Tags: budget, Health, participation, pharmaceutical, privatization
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Six ways public health care makes our economy stronger
Thursday, June 26th, 2025
Prime Minister Carney has put attracting investment in Canada at the top of his agenda. The economists remind him that public health care is a major economic pillar, supporting employment, innovation, and fiscal efficiency, all of which contribute to Canada’s economic resilience amidst global uncertainties and trade pressures. Six ways Medicare makes our economy stronger:
Tags: economy, Health, mental Health, standard of living
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Alcohol is a ‘neurological sledgehammer’ that is harming society in more ways than we realize
Monday, June 23rd, 2025
… alcohol has “received an almost free pass when it comes to changes in policy and public opinion.” … The so-called “alcohol deficit” — caused by the cost of alcohol’s impact on the health-care and criminal justice systems, by lost productivity, by vehicle collisions, law-enforcement costs — reached an all-time high of $6.4 billion in Canada in 2020 and $1.9 billion in Ontario… Alcohol is a main cause of disability and premature death. It causes health problems, including liver disease, cardiovascular issues, several types of cancer and mental-health disorders.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, jurisdiction, mental Health
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‘Nation-building’ projects should also reflect Canadian values
Wednesday, June 11th, 2025
In his 2021 book, Value(s): Building A Better World For All, Mr. Carney reflects thoughtfully on the corrosive impact of inequality and unhealthiness, and how more equal societies are more resilient. He also writes about seven key values that are essential for building a better world: solidarity, fairness, responsibility, resilience, sustainability, dynamism, and humility, all laced with compassion. The way to embrace those values is to invest in programs that make people healthier and more equal…
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, standard of living
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Health care advocates need to keep up the pressure on Mark Carney
Thursday, June 5th, 2025
Upon becoming the Liberal Party Leader on March 9, Carney said, “In America, health care is a big business. In Canada, it’s a right.” He did not say it is universal and public. When he mentioned pharmacare and dental care he tagged it with “for those who need it.” That sounds just like a fill-in-the-gaps program, and not a universal program… He doesn’t mention that Canada is the only developed nation with a universal health care system that does not have universal coverage for both dental care and prescription drugs.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, rights
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The solution to Canada’s health-care woes? Build something new.
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
Canada does not need to replace its health system. However, it does need to evolve into one that harmonizes operations across provinces, supports staff, and provides patients with real alternatives when local options fall short. A sustainable system won’t be built on rationing, complexity or territorial thinking. It will depend on scalable infrastructure, smart workforce planning and cross-border collaboration.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction
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How Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten Canadians’ access to prescription drugs
Friday, May 9th, 2025
Thirty-two per cent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients that go into the medicines that North Americans take originate in China. U.S President Donald Trump has now threatened to slap U.S. tariffs on Chinese drugs and drug ingredients that were previously exempt… Canada already imports $8.76 billion annually in prescription drugs from the U.S. To the extent that tariffed drugs go from China to the U.S. to Canada, the cost of both publicly and privately funded drug plans will increase.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, pharmaceutical
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