Drug coverage for those aged 25 and under
Starting Jan. 1, more than 4,400 medications will be available free to anyone 24 and younger as part of the new Ontario Plus program. Health Minister Eric Hoskins, a family doctor, pushed for the program. He explains more to reporter Kelly Steele.
Q What is this program?
A There are four million Ontarians under the age of 25, out of a population of just under 14 million. Four million will get absolutely free-of-charge access to 4,400 different medications, no upfront fee or payment, no annual deductible and no copayment. It doesn’t matter where you live or what your parents’ income is. It’s just like regular health care and we are first payers.
Q Why implement this program?
A We know that one out of every 10 families in Canada cannot afford prescription medications or do not actually fill the prescription because they can’t afford it. That reality and challenge of having to make the choice between a prescription for yourself or your child or putting food on the table or paying the rent. So, really it’s a health equity issue.
Q Why did you push for this program?
A With being a family doctor all of my time in Canada, I’ve worked at a refugee and immigrant clinic and most of the patients I would see were lower socioeconomic (ally) and having had the experience many times of knowing that I would always have to give them the cheapest medication, not necessarily always the best one. I also knew that if I gave a prescription to a mom for her child, it often wouldn’t get filled. So I would go into my drawers looking for samples and hoping that I would find medication that was needed. So I think it was partially personal experiences as a doctor and then sort of getting a better understanding of the challenges Canadians face.
Q What does all of this cost to implement?
A It’s going to cost $450 million a year.
Q Is it an important program to have?
A When we created Medicare 51 years ago it was always intended to have pharmacare as part of it. We are the only Western country with universal health care that doesn’t have universal pharmacare, so really it was all of those pieces.
Q Why choose that age range?
A All babies, children and youth age 24 years old and under who have OHIP will be covered. The most important place to start was with children and youth and to give them that healthy start to life. And we went to the 25th birthday because we know a lot of kids when they go to college or university that they don’t have a firm footing in terms of a job, and for most of those kids by that time they are no longer covered under their parents. So really there is a vulnerability there for young people, so we felt that was a great area to target.
Q How do you get your medication?
A You don’t have to apply for it. All you do is show up to any pharmacy in the province with your prescription and your health card. It’s that easy.
Q What does it cover?
A It will cover the simplest of things from an asthma puffer to EpiPens, which are $100 a piece. Also, insulin for anyone up to 25 years old will be covered along with test strips and all the supplies. Cancer drugs and drugs for rare diseases — it’s pretty extraordinary.
Other medications include antibiotics to treat infections; drugs to treat arthritis, epilepsy and other chronic conditions; medications to treat mentalhealth conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; drugs to treat some childhood cancers and other rare conditions.
Q Where do you hope to see this go?
A I’m absolutely convinced that it’s inevitable that we will have a national pharmacare program. I don’t know if it’s going to take a couple years or 10 years, but I really think the public opinion is there. The advocates are compelling in terms of why it’s necessary. The health economists have proven why it’s fiscally appropriate, and we’ve been doing a lot of work in costing it out and seeing what it would look like.
Q Any chance of changing the ages covered?
A We’ve committed to full pharmacare and this is a big step forward. Our premier has expressed the desire to one day have full pharmacare for every Ontarian. We are aiming for that nationally as well.