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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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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Health care advocates need to keep up the pressure on Mark Carney
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
… 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. Big Pharma’s key demand is that eligibility be restricted to “those who need it” and exclude those who have private plans… It’s clear that Big Pharma… is plotting how the program can be modified.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, rights
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Senate holding up Pharmacare Act
Monday, September 16th, 2024
… the Health Minister’s and the House Leader’s offices told Canadian Health Coalition representatives they expected the Senate to pass the Pharmacare Act before the summer. The Minister said he had several provinces ready to enter into agreements soon thereafter… But the Senate had different ideas… Now there are indications the Senate SOCI committee is entertaining amendments to Bill C-64… pharmaceutical and insurance corporations have lobbied furiously to derail Bill C-64, or delay it as long as possible.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, participation, pharmaceutical
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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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Liberals’ fortunes hinge on Holland’s pharmacare: coalition director
Thursday, September 14th, 2023
“Only a single-payer Pharmacare system will achieve the savings, efficiencies and fairness that is the hallmark of Canadian Medicare. Anything less will be unacceptable to Canadians and the NDP,” NDP health critic Don Davies declared in June, backing the view of Dr. Eric Hoskins. Public health care experts and organizations like the Canadian Health Coalition, and every commission that’s looked at the problem, agree.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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CHC chair calls for progress on pharmacare implementation
Thursday, August 17th, 2023
We are calling on the new minister to implement public universal pharmacare. Don’t be fooled by the blandishments and manipulations of the pharmaceutical industry, which obviously opposes public universal pharmacare… We also hope he won’t be too impressed by caucus colleagues who are trying to placate the ferocious and well-financed pharma lobby on the Hill.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Health Coalition wants $3.5 Billion in Budget for Pharmacare
Wednesday, August 16th, 2023
If accepted, the government would fulfill a key recommendation of the 2019 Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, led by Dr. Eric Hoskins, which estimated that it will cost an additional $3.5 billion to launch national pharmacare starting with universal coverage for essential medicines. Here are the coalition’s four recommendations…
Tags: featured, Health, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Budget 2023 overlooks Canada’s “dirty little secret” about federal health funding
Wednesday, May 24th, 2023
It’s a “dirty little secret” that the health care money sent to the provinces and territories under the Canada Health Transfer does not actually have to be spent on health care… Speaking on behalf of the Canadian Health Coalition, I urged MPs to take action to rein in health care privatization by the provinces, and to ensure that the promised Canada Pharmacare Act is a public, universal program that covers everyone.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, standard of living
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What the end of the Cambie legal saga means for public health care
Thursday, May 11th, 2023
The principles of the Canada Health Act remain intact. However, many provinces and corporate interests have recalibrated their strategy to undermine public health care. Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are entrenching for-profit interests by outsourcing surgeries to investor-owned facilities. This undermines hospital staffing and ability to provide timely care. Some for-profit clinics have engaged in unlawful extra-billing, entrenching two-tier health care.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization
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