Latest news with #CanadianHealthCoalition
CTV News
5 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Federal health minister non-committal on signing more pharmacare deals
OTTAWA — Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is not committing to sign pharmacare funding deals with all provinces and territories. The first phase of the pharmacare law that was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last fall calls on Ottawa to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for patients. The previous government signed deals with P.E.I., B.C., Manitoba and Yukon to do just that before the spring election. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to protect the pharmacare program, along with other social programs. At a press conference in New Brunswick this week, when asked why talks weren't progressing with the remaining provinces, Michel said that this is a new government in a new context. A spokesperson for the minister says the government will protect the four deals that have been signed but did not say whether the Liberals plan to sign new agreements. 'Our new government will be there to discuss with our provincial and territorial partners how we can support them for better health outcomes for Canadians,' said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell in an email. The Canadian Health Coalition pointed out that $1.5 billion was set aside to fund the agreements in the last federal budget, and the Liberals pledged to keep the program during the election. 'I don't think anybody voted for cuts to health care, including pharmacare,' said Steven Staples, the group's national director of policy and advocacy. The NDP, which pushed for the creation of the pharmacare program through its supply-and-confidence deal with the Trudeau Liberals last year, accused the government of breaking a campaign promise. 'We call on (Prime Minister) Mark Carney immediately to get back on track and honour the law we passed last Parliament,' said NDP interim leader Don Davies in a statement. 'We call on him to finalize Pharmacare agreements with all remaining provinces and territories and allocate the funding Liberals promised so that no Canadian has to choose between life-saving medicine and putting food on the table.' Michel's comments were first reported by the Telegraph-Journal, which cited an interview with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who said her government had not heard from Ottawa since the election. Holt's provincial Liberals ran in an election campaign last year on a promise to cover the cost of contraceptives. New Brunswick has not signed a pharmacare deal. Former health minister Mark Holland suggested last winter that he wouldn't have enough time to negotiate the deals before the election, which most polls at the time predicted the Conservatives would win handily. Holland and the NDP warned that the Conservatives would cut the program. 'There's no room for politics in this. It's just logic. It's the thing we must do for this country,' Holland said as he announced the first deal with Manitoba, worth $219 million, in late February. Carney's government, though, has warned that spending cuts are coming as it refocuses its energy on the economy and national defence. Premiers at the Council of the Federation meetings this week in Ontario said health care is a priority, but it got only a brief mention in their final statement on Wednesday. The premiers said they're exploring avenues to improve access to medications but did not mention pharmacare specifically. At a closing press conference, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz, the incoming chair of the Council of the Federation, spoke about the group's history as 'a venue to lobby for more health transfers.' Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the country's universal health care system is a point of national pride. 'If we want to say that we're standing up to (U.S. President) Donald Trump and we're never going to be the 51st state, let's make sure that our universal health system is strong and supports Canadians in every region of the country. And I think we have a good partner in the prime minister right now to advance that project,' Kinew said. The premiers told reporters the group did not talk about health care with Carney on Tuesday, when he joined their meetings to talk about the trade war with the U.S. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Federal health minister non-committal on signing more pharmacare deals
OTTAWA - Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is not committing to sign pharmacare funding deals with all provinces and territories. The first phase of the pharmacare law that was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last fall calls on Ottawa to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for patients. The previous government signed deals with P.E.I., B.C., Manitoba and Yukon to do just that before the spring election. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to protect the pharmacare program, along with other social programs. At a press conference in New Brunswick this week, when asked why talks weren't progressing with the remaining provinces, Michel said that this is a new government in a new context. A spokesperson for the minister says the government will protect the four deals that have been signed but did not say whether the Liberals plan to sign new agreements. 'Our new government will be there to discuss with our provincial and territorial partners how we can support them for better health outcomes for Canadians,' said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell in an email. The Canadian Health Coalition pointed out that $1.5 billion was set aside to fund the agreements in the last federal budget, and the Liberals pledged to keep the program during the election. 'I don't think anybody voted for cuts to health care, including pharmacare,' said Steven Staples, the group's national director of policy and advocacy. The NDP, which pushed for the creation of the pharmacare program through its supply-and-confidence deal with the Trudeau Liberals last year, accused the government of breaking a campaign promise. 'We call on (Prime Minister) Mark Carney immediately to get back on track and honour the law we passed last Parliament,' said NDP interim leader Don Davies in a statement. 'We call on him to finalize Pharmacare agreements with all remaining provinces and territories and allocate the funding Liberals promised so that no Canadian has to choose between life-saving medicine and putting food on the table.' Michel's comments were first reported by the Telegraph-Journal, which cited an interview with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who said her government had not heard from Ottawa since the election. Holt's provincial Liberals ran in an election campaign last year on a promise to cover the cost of contraceptives. New Brunswick has not signed a pharmacare deal. Former health minister Mark Holland suggested last winter that he wouldn't have enough time to negotiate the deals before the election, which most polls at the time predicted the Conservatives would win handily. Holland and the NDP warned that the Conservatives would cut the program. ''There's no room for politics in this. It's just logic. It's the thing we must do for this country,' Holland said as he announced the first deal with Manitoba, worth $219 million, in late February. Carney's government, though, has warned that spending cuts are coming as it refocuses its energy on the economy and national defence. Premiers at the Council of the Federation meetings this week in Ontario said health care is a priority, but it got only a brief mention in their final statement on Wednesday. The premiers said they're exploring avenues to improve access to medications but did not mention pharmacare specifically. At a closing press conference, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz, the incoming chair of the Council of the Federation, spoke about the group's history as 'a venue to lobby for more health transfers.' Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the country's universal health care system is a point of national pride. 'If we want to say that we're standing up to (U.S. President) Donald Trump and we're never going to be the 51st state, let's make sure that our universal health system is strong and supports Canadians in every region of the country. And I think we have a good partner in the prime minister right now to advance that project,' Kinew said. The premiers told reporters the group did not talk about health care with Carney on Tuesday, when he joined their meetings to talk about the trade war with the U.S. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Federal health minister non-committal on signing more pharmacare deals
OTTAWA — Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is not committing to sign pharmacare funding deals with all provinces and territories. The first phase of the pharmacare law that was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last fall calls on Ottawa to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for patients. The previous government signed deals with P.E.I., B.C., Manitoba and Yukon to do just that before the spring election. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to protect the pharmacare program, along with other social programs. At a press conference in New Brunswick this week, when asked why talks weren't progressing with the remaining provinces, Michel said that this is a new government in a new context. A spokesperson for the minister says the government will protect the four deals that have been signed but did not say whether the Liberals plan to sign new agreements. "Our new government will be there to discuss with our provincial and territorial partners how we can support them for better health outcomes for Canadians," said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell in an email. The Canadian Health Coalition pointed out that $1.5 billion was set aside to fund the agreements in the last federal budget, and the Liberals pledged to keep the program during the election. "I don't think anybody voted for cuts to health care, including pharmacare," said Steven Staples, the group's national director of policy and advocacy. The NDP, which pushed for the creation of the pharmacare program through its supply-and-confidence deal with the Trudeau Liberals last year, accused the government of breaking a campaign promise. "We call on (Prime Minister) Mark Carney immediately to get back on track and honour the law we passed last Parliament," said NDP interim leader Don Davies in a statement. "We call on him to finalize Pharmacare agreements with all remaining provinces and territories and allocate the funding Liberals promised so that no Canadian has to choose between life-saving medicine and putting food on the table." Michel's comments were first reported by the Telegraph-Journal, which cited an interview with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who said her government had not heard from Ottawa since the election. Holt's provincial Liberals ran in an election campaign last year on a promise to cover the cost of contraceptives. New Brunswick has not signed a pharmacare deal. Former health minister Mark Holland suggested last winter that he wouldn't have enough time to negotiate the deals before the election, which most polls at the time predicted the Conservatives would win handily. Holland and the NDP warned that the Conservatives would cut the program. ""There's no room for politics in this. It's just logic. It's the thing we must do for this country," Holland said as he announced the first deal with Manitoba, worth $219 million, in late February. Carney's government, though, has warned that spending cuts are coming as it refocuses its energy on the economy and national defence. Premiers at the Council of the Federation meetings this week in Ontario said health care is a priority, but it got only a brief mention in their final statement on Wednesday. The premiers said they're exploring avenues to improve access to medications but did not mention pharmacare specifically. At a closing press conference, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz, the incoming chair of the Council of the Federation, spoke about the group's history as "a venue to lobby for more health transfers." Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the country's universal health care system is a point of national pride. "If we want to say that we're standing up to (U.S. President) Donald Trump and we're never going to be the 51st state, let's make sure that our universal health system is strong and supports Canadians in every region of the country. And I think we have a good partner in the prime minister right now to advance that project," Kinew said. The premiers told reporters the group did not talk about health care with Carney on Tuesday, when he joined their meetings to talk about the trade war with the U.S. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Federal health minister non-committal on signing more pharmacare deals
OTTAWA – Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel is not committing to sign pharmacare funding deals with all provinces and territories. The first phase of the pharmacare law that was passed by the Trudeau Liberals last fall calls on Ottawa to cover the cost of contraceptives and diabetes medications for patients. The previous government signed deals with P.E.I., B.C., Manitoba and Yukon to do just that before the spring election. The Liberals promised during the election campaign to protect the pharmacare program, along with other social programs. At a press conference in New Brunswick this week, when asked why talks weren't progressing with the remaining provinces, Michel said that this is a new government in a new context. A spokesperson for the minister says the government will protect the four deals that have been signed but did not say whether the Liberals plan to sign new agreements. 'Our new government will be there to discuss with our provincial and territorial partners how we can support them for better health outcomes for Canadians,' said Emilie Gauduchon-Campbell in an email. The Canadian Health Coalition pointed out that $1.5 billion was set aside to fund the agreements in the last federal budget, and the Liberals pledged to keep the program during the election. 'I don't think anybody voted for cuts to health care, including pharmacare,' said Steven Staples, the group's national director of policy and advocacy. The NDP, which pushed for the creation of the pharmacare program through its supply-and-confidence deal with the Trudeau Liberals last year, accused the government of breaking a campaign promise. 'We call on (Prime Minister) Mark Carney immediately to get back on track and honour the law we passed last Parliament,' said NDP interim leader Don Davies in a statement. 'We call on him to finalize Pharmacare agreements with all remaining provinces and territories and allocate the funding Liberals promised so that no Canadian has to choose between life-saving medicine and putting food on the table.' Michel's comments were first reported by the Telegraph-Journal, which cited an interview with New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, who said her government had not heard from Ottawa since the election. Holt's provincial Liberals ran in an election campaign last year on a promise to cover the cost of contraceptives. New Brunswick has not signed a pharmacare deal. Former health minister Mark Holland suggested last winter that he wouldn't have enough time to negotiate the deals before the election, which most polls at the time predicted the Conservatives would win handily. Holland and the NDP warned that the Conservatives would cut the program. ''There's no room for politics in this. It's just logic. It's the thing we must do for this country,' Holland said as he announced the first deal with Manitoba, worth $219 million, in late February. Carney's government, though, has warned that spending cuts are coming as it refocuses its energy on the economy and national defence. Premiers at the Council of the Federation meetings this week in Ontario said health care is a priority, but it got only a brief mention in their final statement on Wednesday. The premiers said they're exploring avenues to improve access to medications but did not mention pharmacare specifically. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. At a closing press conference, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz, the incoming chair of the Council of the Federation, spoke about the group's history as 'a venue to lobby for more health transfers.' Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the country's universal health care system is a point of national pride. 'If we want to say that we're standing up to (U.S. President) Donald Trump and we're never going to be the 51st state, let's make sure that our universal health system is strong and supports Canadians in every region of the country. And I think we have a good partner in the prime minister right now to advance that project,' Kinew said. The premiers told reporters the group did not talk about health care with Carney on Tuesday, when he joined their meetings to talk about the trade war with the U.S. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
REPEAT – Health care advocates afraid of major cuts and privatization hold shadow summit and rally at Council of the Federation next week
HUNTSVILLE, Ontario, July 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Outside the Council of the Federation and the gathering of First Ministers, public health care advocates from across Canada will be joining a shadow summit, rally, and car cavalcade. Attendees include Health Coalitions, patients, patient advocates, nurses, doctors, care workers, mental health advocacy organizations, environmental groups, Indigenous organizations, seniors' groups, union leaders, and more. When & Where: Shadow Summit – Monday, July 21 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hidden Valley Resort (next door to the Deerhurst Resort where the Premiers are meeting) 1755 Valley Rd, Huntsville, ON P1H 1A8 Reporters & health care reporters welcome. Opening plenary re key issues & updates across Canada, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Rally and Car Cavalcade – Tuesday, July 22 12:00 p.m. noon media availability with Health Coalition leaders from across Canada on the road outside Deerhurst Resort 12:15 p.m. rally outside Deerhurst Resort 12:50 p.m. car cavalcades from the rally through Huntsville to corner of Highway 11 & Highway 60 1:10 p.m. rally near intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 60 Who: hosted by the Canadian Health Coalition, Ontario Health Coalition, and the Ontario Federation of Labour. As Canada's leaders meet, our public health care system is, without exaggeration, in open crisis. Runaway privatization is taking funding and staff away from public health care services. Staffing shortages are a national catastrophe, forcing emergency departments to close and leaving health care workers with impossible workloads while patients wait longer and suffer more. Private clinics are violating the Canada Health Act, charging patients hundreds to thousands of dollars for surgeries and diagnostic tests in illegal user fees and extra-billing. Seniors can't access the care they need. Mental health and addiction services are underfunded, subject to privatization and cuts, or simply unavailable. Millions still do not have access to family medicine. The implementation of the first phase of pharmacare has stalled. This event serves to remind our political leaders that the economy exists to serve people, not the other way around, and the economy is more than militarism and private sector projects. If a 70-year-old goes to a private clinic and is forced to use their life savings and pay thousands of dollars for their surgery, what chance do they have to get out of poverty for the rest of their life? If a person has diabetes and cannot afford their insulin and supplies, what economy is there for them? Health care can't wait, and privatization is the destruction of Public Medicare, not a solution. Health Coalitions are demanding funding, resources, and public solutions in the public interest. For more information: Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (416) 230-6402; Salah Shadir, administration & operations director, Ontario Health Coalition cell (647) in to access your portfolio
