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Episode 008:
In this episode of the Benefits Alliance Voice, Carolyne Eagan and Rob Green talk with Suzanne Lepage.
Today on the Benefits Alliance Voice:
- Benefits Alliance and National Pharmacare from a Public and Employer-Sponsored Perspective
- Pharmacare across Canada and the Postal Code Lottery
- Smart Health Benefits Coalition‘s voice in the discussion
- Impact of Pharmacare changes on Canada’s workforce
- 97.2% of Canadians eligible for prescription drug coverage
- insurance is available through:
- public prescription drug plans
- private group and individual plans
- 27M – 74% of Canadians insured for health benefits
- 2.8% gap in prescription coverage (uninsured)
- people not eligible for a public plan
- not enrolled in a private plan
- insurance is available through:
- Despite widespread access to prescription drug coverage
- Canadians face barriers accessing medications
- Underinsurance issues
- Which drugs are covered
- Delays – how quickly drugs are covered
- Out-of-Pocket Costs
- Private drug plans cover more drugs more quickly compared to public plans:
- When there was concern about PMPRB changes in Canada- pharmaceutical companies hesitated to bring new drugs in Canada. There was a dramatic 40% drop in the number of new drugs launched in Canada – this despite the overall number of global launches rising during the year.
This episode dives into the nuances of Pharmacare in Canada, and how the current landscape works. Hear about potential changes that are being discussed at the national level with the Federal Government of Canada and the potential impact. Suzanne shares her expertise on these subjects and more from her perspective covering Canadian Healthcare and Benefits.