Alberta and Quebec have announced plans to “opt out” of Ottawa’s proposed national pharmacare program, citing a lack of consultation and the potential for high provincial administrative costs. The pledge to pass on the country-wide health initiative comes just days after the NDP confirmed it reached a deal on pharmacare with the Liberals. The proposed plan would allow every Canadian with a health card to access free diabetes medication and birth control.
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia both remain on the fence about the program, saying they would require more information before making any decisions. New Brunswick described the announcement of such a program without provincial consultation as “irresponsible.” Quebec took a harder line, stating that it will “demand an unconditional right of withdrawal” from a national pharmacare program and would expect “full compensation.”
“The government of Canada should let the provinces take care of their areas of expertise and play its role of adequately funding care by increasing health transfers,” Quebec added. Alberta also said it would opt out of the program and would expect to receive its “full per capita share of that funding for deployment into our provincial Health Care system.”
A spokesperson for Alberta Health Minister Adrianna LaGrange expressed concerns about the lack of consultation on the national pharmacare plan and the potential additional costs for provinces. The spokesperson highlighted that most Albertan residents can access contraceptives through employer or government health-care insurance plans. The NDP reached an agreement with the Liberal government on the national pharmacare program last week as part of the supply-and-confidence agreement between the two parties. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh emphasized the importance of making health care less of a financial burden for Canadians, stating that the upcoming legislation would provide “medicine you need with your health card, not a credit card.”
Mr. Singh told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos that he’s not worried about the backlash from some of the provinces, noting that it took time, negotiations, and provinces stepping up before universal health care was accepted. The proposed plan would provide full coverage for contraceptives, including birth control pills, IUDs, and emergency contraception, as well as coverage for insulin and additional medications for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Full details of the agreement, which also includes free dental care, have yet to be released, and the legislation is expected to be introduced in the House of Commons this week.