Canadian Health Coalition
  • Donate
  • Menu Canvas
    • CHC Home
    • News
    • About us
    • Campaigns
    • Take action
    • Contact
  • hello@healthcoalition.ca
  • 343-558-1788
Donate OR Subscribe
    • English
    • Français (French)
Canadian Health Coalition
  • Home
  • About us
    • Our Team
  • News
  • Campaigns
  • Take action
  • Contact
  • Donate

    Support the Canadian Health Coalition

    $
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $55.00 One Time

Health Coalition members demand progress on pharmacare in Fiscal Update and Budget 2022

Homepage Statement Health Coalition members demand progress on pharmacare in Fiscal Update and Budget 2022
Statement

Health Coalition members demand progress on pharmacare in Fiscal Update and Budget 2022

December 8, 2021
By CDN Health Coalition
0 Comment
828 Views

Canadian Health Coalition members, along with twenty allied organizations and public health care experts, have written to Prime Minister Trudeau and his key ministers, including Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, seeking urgent financing for a universal, single-payer public pharmacare program in the upcoming Fiscal Update and Budget 2022.

“Time is running out for the Liberal government to meet its commitment to lower drug costs for Canadians,” said Pauline Worsfold, RN, Chairperson of the Canadian Health Coalition. “We are merely weeks away from the target date of January 1, 2022 when the government was to launch pharmacare, as prescribed by the 2019 Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, also known as the Hoskins Report.”

The Economic and Fiscal Update and Budget 2022 are opportunities to demonstrate in a concrete way that the Liberal government will keep its promise on pharmacare. Canadians hope to see a firm financial commitment of – at a minimum – $3.5 billion towards essential medicines coverage as recommended by the Advisory Council.”

CANADIAN HEALTH COALITION WITH 20 ORGANIZATIONS AND EXPERTS

The letter states, “The Economic and Fiscal Update and Budget 2022 are opportunities to demonstrate in a concrete way that the Liberal government will keep its promise on pharmacare. Canadians hope to see a firm financial commitment of – at a minimum – $3.5 billion towards essential medicines coverage as recommended by the Advisory Council.”

In sending the letter on December 7, 2021, signatories expressed concerns that the government’s delay in meeting its commitment is putting the needs of Canadians behind the interests of profitable corporations.

“We have experienced too many missed opportunities and are witnessing too many people being left behind. With family budgets stretched so thin, more and more Canadians are being forced to make impossible choices between buying groceries or paying for their medication,” said Canadian Labour Congress President Bea Bruske.

“It’s time for the federal government to stop putting the profits of big pharma and insurance companies before the millions of Canadians who struggle to afford the drugs they need,” said Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions.

You can read the letter at https://www.healthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021-12-07_Joint-letter-to-PM-and-Ministers_Pharmacare_ENFR-Final.pdf

Signatories:

Pauline Worsfold, RN, Chairperson, Canadian Health Coalition

Beatrice Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress

Jerry Dias, President, Unifor

Linda Silas, President, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions

Mark Hancock, National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)

Christina Warner, Co-Executive Director, Council of Canadians

Larry Brown, President, The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)

Ken Neumann, National Director for Canada, USW

Dr. Melanie Bechard, Chair, Canadian Doctors for Medicare

Anita Patil Huberman, President & CEO, Surrey Board of Trade

Diane Wood, President, BC Federation of Retired Union Members (BC FORUM)

Bill Chedore, National President, Congress of Union Retirees of Canada

Jen Hassum, Executive Director, Broadbent Institute

Scott Wolfe, Executive Director, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres

Sandra Azocar, Executive Director, Friends of Medicare (Alberta)

Thomas Linner, Provincial Director, Manitoba Health Coalition

Juliet Bushi, Provincial Director, Saskatchewan Health Coalition

Sophie Verdon, Director, Coalition solidarité santé (Québec)

Joel Lexchin, Professor Emeritus, York University

Marc-André Gagnon, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University

Steve Morgan, PhD, Professor, School of Population and Public Health Founder, Pharmacare 2020 University of British Columbia

Tags: Pharmacare

Previous Story
National Union urges governments to collect race-based data for improved health care
Next Story
More long-term care workers unionizing with UFCW

Related Articles

New pharmacare ad campaign launched by Health Coalition and allies

Please share widely on Facebook

Having some drug coverage does not mean medicines are affordable, says Dr. Lexchin

Health files | Can biotechnology put patients’ needs ahead of...

Recent Posts

  • 9 million reasons to support dental care plan: MP Don Davies Sep 20, 2023
  • New pharmacare ad campaign launched by Health Coalition and allies Sep 20, 2023
  • ‘Surprised and disgusted’ by doctors pushing privatization Sep 19, 2023
  • Having some drug coverage does not mean medicines are affordable, says Dr. Lexchin Sep 13, 2023
  • Monique Bégin, visionary feminist and defender of health care equity, has died Sep 11, 2023

Tags

Canada Health Transfer Canadian Health Coalition COVID-19 Dental Care Federal Election 44 Health+Hope 2025 Health Care Workers Health Policy Home care Long-term Care Medicare Mental Health Pharmacare Plasma Privatization Racism Reproductive Health Care Solutions series
Twitter feed is not available at the moment.
Canadian Health Coalition
2841 Riverside Ave.
Ottawa, Ontario K1V 8X7
+343.558.1788
hello@healthcoalition.ca
  • Home
  • What we do
  • Campaigns
  • News
  • Contact

Find posts prior to January 1, 2021
SearchPostsLogin
Wednesday, 20, Sep
9 million reasons to support dental care plan: MP Don Davies
Wednesday, 20, Sep
New pharmacare ad campaign launched by Health Coalition and allies
Tuesday, 19, Sep
‘Surprised and disgusted’ by doctors pushing privatization
Wednesday, 13, Sep
Having some drug coverage does not mean medicines are affordable, says Dr. Lexchin
Monday, 11, Sep
Monique Bégin, visionary feminist and defender of health care equity, has died
Sunday, 10, Sep
Health Care With Teeth, Part 2: An Update on Dental Care

Welcome back,