Pharmacare won’t be free for all Canadians, Bill Morneau says
Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau says a new national pharmacare program will be “fiscally responsible” and designed to fill in gaps, not provide prescription drugs for Canadians already covered by existing plans.
Speaking at the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa to kick off a post-budget sales job, Morneau said many Canadians are without coverage, including people who are self-employed. Some parts of the system are working well but others are not, he said.
“We need a strategy to deal with the fact not everyone has access, and we need to do it in a way that’s responsible, that deals with the gaps, but doesn’t throw out the system that we currently have,” he said.
Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s former Liberal health minister, will chair a council that will consult with stakeholders and make recommendations to government on how to proceed with a national plan.
