Statistics Canada said four-fifths of Canadians have some type of prescription drug insurance and most likely receive it through work, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “Among men and women, seniors were most likely to have a government-sponsored plan while working age adults were most likely to have an employer-sponsored plan,” said Statistics Canada in a report. The province with the people with the most drug coverage was Quebec (89%). After Quebec was Alberta (83%). This was followed by New Brunswick (82%), Nova Scotia (81%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (79%). The Canadians least likely to have drug insurance were self-employed people, recent immigrants and low-income households with few chronic health conditions. “The gap in private insurance coverage was large between employees and self-employed workers,” said Statistics Canada. “For both men and women, roughly four times more self-employed workers purchased private insurance plans than employees.”While provinces have high coverage rates, it said they do not indicate adequacy and that many key insights were missing. “Several data gaps limit our understanding of drug insurance coverage and cost-related medication non-adherence,” it said. Parliamentary advocates have long promised introduction of national pharmacare. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in his supply and confidence agreement with the NDP in 2022 they would pass a pharmacare bill by Dec. 31, 2023. Cabinet reneged on the agreement it made with the NDP to pass pharmacare in November. READ MORE: Trudeau gov’t reneges on pharmacare deal with NDPCabinet ministers said it would be unfeasible for cabinet to keep its promise to pass pharmacare legislation by December 31. They left out any mention of pharmacare in a planning motion. Thirteen days were left on the House of Commons sitting calendar before it took a break for Christmas.The Privy Council disclosed in in-house research on January 3 widespread public indifference to universal drug coverage. “Asked specifically about the cost of prescription drugs, few felt this to be a significant issue at present,” said the Privy Council. “Describing the current state of prescription drug coverage in Canada, a large number were of the impression these were affordable in most cases.”The Privy Council said many Canadians received drug coverage through their employers and a few were under the impression these costs could be claimed on their tax returns. It said most people “indicated they would be less likely to support this program in the event it led to higher or new taxation or increased the federal deficit.”
