Canada’s parliament has passed a bill that that will cover the full cost of contraception and diabetes drugs for Canadians.

The Liberal government said it is the initial phase of a plan that would expand to become a publicly funded national pharmacare programme.

But two provinces - Alberta and Quebec - have indicated they may opt-out of the programme, accusing Ottawa of interfering in provincial matters.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party is ahead in national polls by a wide margin, does not support the legislation.

  • GreyEyedGhost
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    12 hours ago

    Sorry, you had me laughing at 1700 a year being expensive. And do you have any idea what it would cost to determine if someone was sufficient to meet your standards? 1700 per person per year would be on the low end. Now, what about smokers, drinkers, recreational drug users, people who eat too much, people who drive too fast, people who use recreational motor vehicles, the list goes on forever. Accept the fact the people are going to do things that negatively impact their health in ways that you don’t, and vice versa, and wading through the list to see who’s sufficiently worthy to receive care will cost more than caring for them, and will add yet another burden to the group of people caring for those patients.

    • Showroom7561
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      10 hours ago

      Now, what about smokers, drinkers, recreational drug users, people who eat too much, people who drive too fast, people who use recreational motor vehicles, the list goes on forever.

      Again, lifestyle related illnesses should be treated through patient education, not prolonged with taxpayer funded “treatment”.

      Everyone should have access to doctors, but we’re not talking about unlimited resources, and some patients should be sent home with a “reverse your disease in 60 days” guide, rather than “here’s a prescription to continue your curable disease for the next 40 years.”

      Actually reversing someone’s disease, rather than prolonged management, would save our healthcare system billions a year.

      Wouldn’t we all be better off with common sense healthcare, rather than kneejerk sickcare?

      • GreyEyedGhost
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        9 hours ago

        So, have you been to a doctor? When you walk in with high blood pressure, do you think they don’t mention reducing your weight, sodium, and cholesterol? Some people follow that advice, some don’t. Some don’t know how to achieve that.

        A lot of the things you talk about already happen, at the most superficial level. It isn’t working. But, much like drug addiction, people would rather vilify those who are so weak as to succumb to addiction (or overeating) rather than providing the resources to help them beyond a handy little pamphlet telling them everything they already know.

        But that isn’t what you started with advocating. Rather than advocating better resources to help people deal with the causes, you promoted the idea of removing help treating their symptoms if they didn’t meet your criteria of trying enough to fix the underlying causes, of what I imagine are your personal pet peeves.