This week in Canadian healthcare brings to light critical issues affecting vulnerable populations, alongside ongoing debates about pharmacare and rising healthcare costs.
A Health Reports study released on August 21, 2024, revealed alarming rates of food insecurity among Canadians with disabilities. Over one in four individuals with disabilities faced household food insecurity in 2021, significantly higher than the 12.5% prevalence among those without disabilities. The study highlighted that individuals with learning, memory, cognition, or seeing disabilities experienced the highest rates of food insecurity, with severe levels affecting 8% of those with disabilities compared to 2% of those without.
The report also noted that Indigenous individuals, the unemployed, and those in lower income brackets with disabilities faced particularly high levels of severe food insecurity, even when accounting for income and employment factors.
Concurrently, a new Fraser Institute study estimated that a typical Canadian family of four will pay approximately $17,713 for public healthcare insurance in 2024 through various taxes despite the system being perceived as "free."
The report, authored by Nadeem Esmail, highlighted that many Canadians are unaware of these costs, as they are not directly billed for medical services but instead fund the system through general taxes and employer contributions. The study emphasized the often-overlooked financial burden of public health care on Canadian households.
In another policy development, the federal Liberal-NDP coalition government has unveiled plans to implement the initial phase of a national pharmacare program, starting with universal prescription drug benefits for contraceptives and diabetes medications.
However, a study by the Canadian Health Policy Institute has raised concerns about the current public drug plans, Canadians have access to significantly fewer new drugs and face longer wait times compared to those with private insurance. The study showed that, on average, public drug plans covered only 18% of new drugs authorized by Health Canada from 2018-2022, with a wait time of over two years, while private plans covered 64% with an average wait time of 369 days.
These findings suggest that the transition to national pharmacare could potentially reduce access to new medicines for the 27 million Canadians currently covered under private plans.
Further highlighting challenges in the healthcare system, Dr. Nigel Rawson and Dr. David Stewart published an article in Canadian Health Policy emphasizing that the benefit of expedited regulatory approval for oncology drugs in Canada is undermined by slow reimbursement reviews and prolonged price negotiations, often delaying patient access by up to three years. The authors analyzed 92 oncology drugs and found that government procedures significantly extend the time between regulatory approval and final access to treatment.
Amidst these concerns, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tabled the Thirty-First Annual Report on the Public Service of Canada in the House of Commons on August 21, 2024. The report highlighted the public service's role in advancing housing, healthcare, climate change, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The report, presented by Clerk of the Privy Council John Hannaford, also emphasized efforts to promote diversity and adapt to new challenges like artificial intelligence.
The intersection of food insecurity, rising costs, pharmacare debates, and access to new treatments paints a complex picture of a system under pressure. Yet, it also presents opportunities for meaningful reform and innovation.
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