Targeted Pharmacare Reforms Could Deliver Access Without a $40 Billion Price Tag
Posted on September 18, 2025 in Health Debates
Source: CDHowe.org — Authors: Raquel Schneider, Rosalie Wyonch
C.D.Howe.org – Media Releases
September 18, 2025. Raquel Schneider, Communications Officer
Health Policy
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.
In “Access and Affordability: Building Fiscally Responsible Pharmacare Systems,” workshop participants consisting of policymakers, industry leaders, and health experts found that first-dollar universal pharmacare – estimated to cost almost $40 billion annually – would be unsustainable within an already underfunded system and could disrupt coverage for the 27 million Canadians currently benefiting from private insurance. Instead, these healthcare stakeholders agreed on targeted reforms such as strengthening catastrophic coverage, expanding existing provincial programs to fill access gaps, or copying Quebec’s more financially stable mixed model style.
“The keys to a successful program revision are strong coordination with private insurers, clearer public communication, and better provincial integration,” said Rosalie Wyonch, workshop convenor. “While there was debate around the best path forward, participants agreed the reform must be fiscally responsible, collaborative, evidence-based, and, above all, ensure open access for Canadians.”
As the deadline for Canada Drug Agency’s procurement strategy approaches this fall, the report calls on the federal government to clarify its long-term intentions for pharmacare and to support reforms that strengthen – rather than replace – Canada’s mixed public-private model.
https://cdhowe.org/publication/targeted-pharmacare-reforms-could-deliver-access-without-a-40-billion-price-tag/
Tags: budget, Health, participation, pharmaceutical, privatization
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