This page provides information to Canadians about drug coverage in Canada. |
All provinces and territories provide some level of public drug benefit
coverage to their population. This extent of coverage, however, is based
on the individual’s ability to pay an annual deductible fee.
Spending money on prescription drugs is increasingly becoming the second
largest share of health care spending after hospitals. The main cost driver
is an increase in the use of newer, usually more costly drugs.
This can undoubtedly lead one to face serious financial burdens.
 This is the main
reason why supplemental health insurance can help to alleviate financial
stress for you and your family. For a small premium, your family will
be insured with full drug coverage. If you or a family member falls
ill, you will be able to provide the proper medication without the added
worries of cost and affordability.
The following is a list from the Canadian
Life and Health Association detailing the specifics of prescription
drug coverage:
1. New drug therapies and changing patterns of health care
have created a situation in which Canadians with an increasing range
of medical conditions may require extremely costly prescription drugs
outside hospitals and thus outside of government coverage.
2. Membership in drug coverage plans, and the provisions of
these plans, determines whether and to what extent Canadians requiring
such costly prescription drugs would actually experience substantial
personal financial cost.
3. Essentially 100% of Canadian seniors have drug coverage and
have protective caps on their Out-of-Pocket Costs. In all provinces,
all low-income seniors have coverage and have caps on their Out-of-Pocket
Costs.
4. In all provinces, social assistance recipients are covered
against severe drug expenses with minimal or no personal financial cost.
5. Two percent of Canadians have no drug coverage whatsoever.
All of these individuals reside in one of the four Atlantic Provinces
(New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland), where 24% to
30% of the population have no public or private sector drug coverage.
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