Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
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To bolster health, would basic income — not pharmacare — make more sense?
Tuesday, June 25th, 2019
… shouldn’t the priority of policy-makers be to ensure that all Canadians can afford necessities such as food and housing, not just prescription drugs? … Affordable sickness care is important, especially if you’re sick. But the way to keep people healthier longer is to ensure that they have a decent income, a roof over their heads, healthy food, a good education, a sound physical environment and sense of belonging.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical, poverty, standard of living
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Yes, to national pharmacare – because we already paid for it
Tuesday, June 25th, 2019
We are paying, in effect, three times: through federal research grants, through disease-focused charities, and then at the pharmacy. A national pharmacare program could change this if… the cost of a drug over the life of its patent was calculated to recognize the public support its development received. Manufacturers would submit a funding history with a tentative pricing. A fair rate of return would be permitted for the life of a patent based on that information.
Tags: budget, Health, jurisdiction, mental Health, pharmaceutical
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Why universal pharmacare will help get Canada’s drug costs under control — and why Big Pharma hates it
Saturday, June 22nd, 2019
It might be more accurate to say we can’t afford to go without it… The Hoskins report estimates an annual savings of about $5 billion in total drug spending once universal pharmacare is fully implemented… And it would strengthen employers’ ability to hire and properly compensate employees. Employer contributions to drug plans generally reduce worker pay.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, pharmaceutical, standard of living, tax
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Why are we forever chasing the dream of a universal drug plan?
Tuesday, June 18th, 2019
… derailed by opposing political agendas, fierce resistance from private insurers, public ambivalence and voter apathy… universal pharmacare isn’t merely about equity and ideology, but efficacy and efficiency… The challenge is to make those savings feel real, not notional… that cost-benefit tradeoff must be spelled out clearly to persuade people that the savings end up in their pockets.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living, tax
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
Report goes all in on pharmacare, and that may be a mistake
Saturday, June 15th, 2019
The bottom line is that Canada’s inconsistent drug coverage can’t be fixed without government intervention of some kind. That includes lowering the nation’s drug bill by creating a government system of bulk purchases, limiting drug co-pays and regulating premiums.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Five decades in the making, our national pharmacare still has a long way to go
Friday, June 14th, 2019
Canada should take a leap forward here and look to include in a national formulary not only with the most important medicines, but the most important medical devices. The secret sauce in all of this will be smart, strategic negotiations on behalf of all Canadians with drug and device manufacturers to reward real breakthroughs and the backbone to say no to coverage for drugs and devices that just don’t deliver on value for money.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Putting values into practice on pharmacare will come at a cost
Friday, June 14th, 2019
The catch is that there would be a massive shift of drug costs from private plans to public plans, an “incremental public cost” of $15.3-billion… Practically, it also means the feds would have to raise taxes by at least $15-billion a year. That, not poor values, is the single biggest impediment to national pharmacare. The other related hurdle is that a national plan would require an unprecedented level of federal-provincial-territorial co-operation.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living, tax
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Pharmacare today, like medicare 50 years ago, makes sense
Friday, June 14th, 2019
In terms of cost overall, most experts agree that a universal, single-pay system would save money for Canadians… But a universal public program would also shift costs from individuals and employers to governments… Canadians would pay more in taxes for universal drug coverage. But this tax increase would be more than compensated for by the out-of-pocket, administrative and cost savings associated with the move to public pharmacare.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, mental Health, participation, standard of living, tax
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New report provides the Trudeau Liberals with a blueprint for pharmacare
Friday, June 14th, 2019
There’s true pharmacare, as laid out by the advisory council chaired by Ontario’s former health minister, Eric Hoskins. Then there’s a paler version that seeks only to fill in the gaps by providing coverage for those who currently have none… Canadians already pay more for drugs than they do for doctors’ services and… drug costs are rising at an unsustainable 6.5 per cent per year. That has a big impact on both workplace plans and government drug benefits for seniors and the poor.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living, tax
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Universal Pharmacare Within Reach: C.D. Howe Institute
Friday, June 7th, 2019
In “Filling the Gaps: A Prescription for Universal Pharmacare,” Policy Analyst Rosalie Wyonch finds there are ways to close the gaps in prescription drug coverage and protect households from excessive costs when in acute need through the expansion of public insurance… The report investigates current prescription drug insurance in Canadian provinces, evaluates options for achieving universal coverage and estimates their cost.
Tags: budget, featured, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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