Federal Budget 2024
Reaction:
In a historic first, the federal budget includes funding for pharmacare: $1.5 billion over five years.
Staples, S. (April, 2024). First federal budget to include pharmacare tabled in Parliament. https://www.healthcoalition.ca/first-federal-budget-to-include-pharmacare-tabled-in-parliament
Pre-Budget Submission:
Recommendation 1: That the government passes the Canada Pharmacare Act by 2023 to provide free coverage for prescribed medicines, funded with $3.5-billion for essential medicines as recommended by the 2019 government-appointed Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare.
Recommendation 2: That the government passes legislation for the Canadian Dental Care Plan in 2023 and transforms the benefit into a universal program for everyone in Canada by phasing out the eligibility requirement that annual family income must be less than $90,000.
Recommendation 3: That the government introduces and passes the Safe Long-Term Care Act by 2025, which must enforce mandatory national standards, which should include patients receiving at least 4 hours of daily direct care. Additionally, provide funding to promote publicly-owned, and non-profit long-term care facilities while phasing out for-profit investors.
Recommendation 4: That the government speaks out in favour of public health care strenuously and enforces the 5 principles and conditions of the Canada Health Act, beginning with funding more robust monitoring and sanctioning capacity by Health Canada to ensure Canadians are not faced with extra billing, user fees, and diminished accessibility to health care as provinces move to for-profit care providers.
Canadian Health Coalition. (2023, August). Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget 2024 https://www.healthcoalition.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Pre-Budget-2024-submission-by-CHC-EN-and-FR.pdf
Read more:
Staples, S. (March, 2024). Where are the funds for pharmacare? https://www.healthcoalition.ca/where-are-the-funds-for-pharmacare
Staples, S. (January, 2024). Feds must help 4.4 million people left out of new dental program. https://www.healthcoalition.ca/feds-must-help-4-4-million-people-left-out-of-new-dental-program/
