Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
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National Pharmacare – Time to Get on With It
Friday, November 3rd, 2023
The federal government can act as a catalyst by making a credible and responsible financial commitment that opens the door to joint work with provinces and territories to improve public plan coverage. The PEI agreement is a good model and federal legislation can help to create a positive foundation for collaboration. The political window to move things forward is open, but not for long.
Tags: featured, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, pharmaceutical, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
The Liberals have a chance to make headway on pharmacare. They should seize the opportunity
Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Hoskins had recommended that a universal program begin with essential medicines, which would initially cost the government $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion. The NDP insists on a single-payer universal system but acknowledges it can’t be done in one fell swoop. It has demanded that timelines for progress be enshrined in legislation. If all this leads to a “foundational” piece of legislation and a firm road map going forward, that will be welcome and significant progress in a time of economic uncertainty.
Tags: budget, disabilities, economy, featured, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Canada has more doctors than ever — but access is worse. Why is that?
Thursday, November 2nd, 2023
Governments may fund primary health care, but they don’t make the work rules. Those are made mainly by doctors. Medicare still makes sense. Public payment reduces administrative costs while eliminating financial barriers. But because of Medicare’s policy legacies, even doubling the number of doctors would not provide the access we deserve. We need to change the way physicians do their work.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Delivery System | 2 Comments »
Ontario plans to expand midwives’ prescribing power
Tuesday, October 31st, 2023
Ontario is planning to expand the list of drugs that midwives can prescribe and administer, including allowing them to prescribe birth control… A spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones said the ministry is reviewing further scope-of-practice changes and is rolling them out based on advice from health-care partners.
Tags: Health, pharmaceutical, women
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
Budget officer estimates cost and savings of single-payer pharmacare
Thursday, October 19th, 2023
The PBO says, “Upon the implementation of a single-payer universal drug plan… we estimate the incremental cost to the public sector (that is, federal and provincial governments) combined to be $11.2 billion in 2024-25, increasing to $14.4 billion in 2027.” In terms of the economy as a whole, the PBO estimates cost savings on drug expenditures of $1.4 billion in 2024-25, rising to $2.2 billion in 2027-28.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical
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Politicians come and go, but the clock is now ticking on long-promised pharmacare
Thursday, October 12th, 2023
Federal funding of essential medicines will, of course, cost the federal government, since it would foot the bill for all of those essential medicines instead of the provinces paying much of the costs. But the $7.6 billion price tag is a bargain. All told, a program of this kind could save provinces, employers and families $12 billion in reduced prescription drug costs. The $4 billion in direct savings for provinces alone is enough to entice even the most recalcitrant of provincial governments.
Tags: featured, Health, ideology, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Making preventive care fair: New approaches like self-testing at home can save lives and promote health equity
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023
We could start with preventive care in redesigning health care for those who need it the most… Governments and large health-care institutions have all made grand statements about the need to tackle sexism, racism, ableism and other forms of discrimination. It is long past time for those institutions to fund and support specific actions to help those who have been disadvantaged by previous inaction.
Tags: Health, ideology, participation, standard of living
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Early indicators of dementia: 5 behaviour changes to look for after age 50
Monday, October 2nd, 2023
… dementia is predicted to affect one million Canadians by 2030… dementia isn’t an individual journey. In 2020, care partners — including family members, friends or neighbours — spent 26 hours per week assisting older Canadians living with dementia… These numbers are expected to triple by 2050, so it’s important to look for ways to offset these predicted trajectories by preventing or delaying the progression of dementia.
Tags: mental Health, Seniors
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
How we can actually achieve national pharmacare – Hill Times Op-Ed
Sunday, September 17th, 2023
A national public single payer drug plan… implementation requires massive administrative changes and costs… there are two other models that would work. Social insurance has been used in Canada and in many countries that have broader, higher quality universal health systems, most at lower per capita costs. A second, more targeted approach is a portable health benefit plan which uses a similar mixed funding model to help workers with no health insurance.
Tags: Health, pharmaceutical
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
This is why you don’t have a family doctor
Monday, September 4th, 2023
The process of becoming a doctor in Canada is… entrusted to numerous ministries, universities, colleges, councils, professional organizations and accrediting agencies… In the absence of consolidated oversight for the final product, the sheer number of participants in the process makes it very difficult to achieve significant reform. We are, in fact, facing… an unwillingness to abandon previously successful practices.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
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