Meeting the health needs of Canadians
Universal public health care allows Canadians to access health services based on their need, not their ability to pay. Yet, a significant amount of health-care costs fall outside the system, with Canadians paying out-of-pocket for prescription drugs, vision correction, and certain types of physiotherapy.
With this in mind, our government recently introduced Bill C-64 in the House of Commons to provide Canadians with free coverage for diabetes medications and contraceptives. This will help around 3.7 million Canadians living with diabetes and over 9 million Canadians of reproductive age.
T1 and T2 Diabetes Medication:
Many of us know someone with type 1 or type 2 diabetes – be it family, friends or loved ones. It is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting Canadians and is expected to become even more common as our population ages and grows. Sadly, when people can’t afford medication, they risk serious complications like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and even amputation.
No person with diabetes should have to choose between their health and paying their bills. Our legislation will provide patients free T1 and T2 diabetes medications, including insulin, metformin, and combination formulations. Please visit tiny.cc/pharmacare1 to see what diabetes drugs will be covered upon the passage of Bill C-64.
Contraception
Nearly one-quarter of Canadians – over 9 million people – are of reproductive age. The main obstacle to accessing contraceptives that prevent unintended pregnancies is affordability. Birth control pills usually come with a price tag of $25 per unit, whereas IUDs can cost as much as $500 per unit. That’s why our plan will provide Canadians free access to oral contraceptives, copper and hormonal IUDs, injections, implants, rings, and morning-after pills.
Many residents have reached out to me about pharmacare over the years, with some highlighting the growing financial burden of life-saving drugs and others emphasizing the need to avoid an overly expensive program. I believe Bill C-64 strikes a balance between these priorities and will act as a proving ground for the future of universal pharmacare. I will also advocate for the program to prioritize financial responsibility by utilizing bulk purchasing to reduce drug prices and the advantages of preventive care.
Protecting Our Environment
With climate change causing more frequent extreme weather, we are modernizing Canada’s weather radar system to better protect the health, safety and property of Canadians. In March, the federal government completed an eight-year project to install 32 state-of-the-art radars and one training radar. Weather radars are key to quickly and accurately detecting severe weather events like tornadoes, hurricanes, heavy rain, hail, and ice storms; providing first responders and communities more time to prepare and save lives.
Since 2015, our government has invested $180.4 million to enhance weather radar systems and over $10 billion in climate adaptation and disaster relief to help at-risk communities address the effects of climate change.
As we end our warmest winter on record, the Government of Canada stands ready to support provinces and territories with this year’s wildfire season.
Connect with Us
As always, my team and I are happy to hear your thoughts, answer any questions, and assist you with any federal matters. You can always contact my office at 416-283-1414 or Gary.Anand@parl.gc.ca