Seniors’ Care Scenarios with Rosalie Wyonch
Building more LTC facilities won’t solve Canada’s long-term care crisis. The C.D. Howe Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch tells host Michael Hainsworth that the solution involves rethinking the way we deliver care, and each province could benefit from the lessons learned by their neighbours.
Pharmacare bill offers too much ambiguity and too little ambition – The Hill Times
For decades, pharmacare has been a day late and a dollar short. How much did Bill C-64 change that?
Very few Canadians have no drug insurance, but a much larger number probably need more coverage. The lack of an integrated national drug system limits our ability to describe the unmet need, and this need is as important for that cohort as hospital and medical insurance is for everyone.
The new pharmacare bill, released Feb. 29, has “the aim of continuing to work toward the implementation of national universal pharmacare.” At the onset, it proposes universal, no-cost access to selected diabetes and contraception drugs and devices, along with work on a new national formulary, refinement of today’s bulk purchasing strategy,…
Scenarios for Seniors’ Care: Future Challenges, Current Gaps and Strategies to Address Them
A surging population of seniors. A surging demand for their care. And constrained government financial resources. That is the conundrum Canada faces in the years ahead. Solutions are needed quickly to increase capacity and services for seniors, especially those most in need. This Commentary examines the availability of different housing and care options for seniors, […] Rosalie Wyonch – The Lingering Pharmacare Questions
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Healthcare observers Date: March 18, 2024 Re: The Lingering Pharmacare Questions The Liberals and NDP have reached a deal on pharmacare, but there are many challenges to overcome. It will take years to implement and many questions remain unanswered. Canada is the only developed country with universal insurance for hospital and physician services but not […] Pharmacare in Critical Condition with Dr. Jane Philpott, Fred Horne and Rosalie Wyonch
Ottawa has rolled out the first stage of its national pharmacare program. But it’s a far cry from what the NDP required to prop-up the minority government. Former federal health minister Dr. Jane Philpott joins former Alberta health minister Fred Horne and the Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch to discuss why $1.5 billion isn’t anywhere near enough to pay for the medications Canadians consume today, and how likely the program is to survive.
Fierlbeck, Wyonch – How Come Private Healthcare Is Expanding? Isn’t It Illegal?
From: Katherine Fierlbeck and Rosalie Wyonch To: Health system observers Date: March 4, 2024 Re: How Come Private Healthcare Is Expanding? Isn’t It Illegal? Why are for-profit private clinics providing more and more insured services when the Canada Health Act stipulates that “all” insured health services must be insured publicly? Like the entire healthcare system, the answer is complicated, as […] Pharmacare cornerstone has been laid but where are the blueprints and budget? – Financial Post
The Liberals and NDP have reached a deal on pharmacare: a single-payer national plan that for now will cover only two drug categories: diabetes and birth control. Canada is the only developed country with universal insurance for hospital and physician services but not for prescription drugs, so covering this third pillar of the system makes sense. But whether the agreement will do that in a sensible way isn’t yet clear.
According to news reports, the negotiations hinged on two main points: what’s in and who pays. The NDP wanted more drug categories included, while the Liberals were concerned about costs. And while the NDP insisted on a single-payer national program, the Liberals had never committed to that and no information has…
Zayna Khayat – Some Demand-Side Ambition, Please, for Canada’s Health Workforce
From: Zayna Khayat To: Healthcare watchers Date: February 21, 2024 Re: Some Demand-Side Ambition, Please, for Canada’s Health Workforce The gap between demand for health services and available supply is large and widening. The sector is dominated by labour; according to Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), more than 60 percent of health spending goes to workers. Hence, stability […] Tingting Zhang – Canada’s Nursing Shortage: It’s Time to Focus on Retention
To: Canadians concerned about healthcare From: Tingting Zhang Date: February 8, 2024 Re: Canada’s Nursing Shortage: It’s Time to Focus on Retention Canada’s nursing shortage, exposed by the pandemic, remains dire four years later. It was among the most commonly cited reasons for last summer’s rash of emergency room closures across Canada and longer wait times for both […] Special Policy Conference – Better Health Outcomes: What’s Holding Canada Back?
Canada’s healthcare systems face many crises, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic’s straining of capacity and resources. Many Canadians lack access to primary care. Fewer surgeries are being performed than before the pandemic. Overtime hours among the healthcare workforce have increased, linked to staff shortages and worsening burnout.During the first two-and-a-half years of […] The Scope and Nature of Private Healthcare with Katherine Fierlbeck
Curing what ails Canada’s healthcare system requires us taking the financial bull by the privatization horns. Dalhousie University political science Professor Katherine Fierlbeck and host Michael Hainsworth discuss the importance of accurately framing the nature of our system so we can understand it’s expectations – and limitations. Michael J. Trebilcock – Cracking Canada’s Policy Silos
From: Michael J. Trebilcock To: Canadians concerned about public policy Date: January 18, 2024 Re: Cracking Canada’s Policy Silos Many of Canada’s most pressing policy challenges entail significant interaction effects between policy domains, which for a federation like Canada poses major coordination hurdles. These arise both vertically between levels of government and horizontally within levels of government that are […]