Ontario open to pharmacare participation
Premier wants to see detailed plan from Ottawa
Ontario is leaving the door open to joining the Trudeau government’s proposed pharmacare program, but is still waiting for more details, says Premier Doug Ford.
His remarks come a week after the plan to begin universal pharmacare with coverage for diabetes and birth control was unveiled in Ottawa by federal Health Minister Mark Holland.
“I know Quebec and Alberta just immediately said no, but I’m always open to reviewing it and if it’s going to help the people of Ontario, I’m all in,” Ford said Friday in Milton.
Echoing concerns previously expressed by Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, Ford said more information is needed on how the proposal would work for the province.
“The feds have to give us more details. It was like, ‘We’re doing this and we’ll get to the details later,’ and that’s fine. I’m fine, but let’s see the details,” the premier added.
“We want a detailed plan, not a hokey-pokey one.”
Ontario has a provincial pharmacare system called OHIP+ that provides more than 5,000 medications to people aged 24 or younger who do not have private coverage, such as through an employer.
Holland’s proposed pharmacare legislation, developed under a confidence and supply agreement with Jagmeet Singh’s federal New Democrats to support Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government, has not yet been passed in Parliament.
It is unclear whether it can get to a final vote before the end of June because of a busy legislative schedule in Ottawa.
Holland has put the initial cost of diabetes and contraceptive coverage at $1.5 billion annually and his timeline suggests it would not begin before spring of 2025, months before the next scheduled federal election.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated a complete national pharmacare program could cost $11.2 billion in its first year.
Although Alberta’s United Conservative government initially balked at the concept, saying it was not consulted on the plan and considered it to be trampling on provincial jurisdiction over health care, its health minister later took a more conciliatory tone on social media.
“We expect the federal government will invest in Alberta’s pharmacare program to enhance the existing comprehensive programs we have available to Albertans,” Adriana LaGrange wrote on X.
Quebec has said it has its own drug program.