Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>IATSE</strong> & LABOR MOVEMENT NEWS<br />
Labour Leads the Fight<br />
For a National Pharmacare<br />
Program in Canada<br />
The only place where all Canadians are covered is in the hospital. The federal government covers the<br />
cost of prescription drugs for members of the Armed Forces and the RCMP, veterans and Indigenous<br />
people. The provinces and territories all provide different coverage.<br />
Most subsidize the cost of medications<br />
for vulnerable Canadians - like<br />
those over 65, and recipients of social<br />
assistance and disability benefits. Many<br />
also provide catastrophic coverage for<br />
those with astronomical medical costs.<br />
But that still leaves one in five Canadians<br />
paying out of pocket for their medication<br />
because they either don’t have a prescription<br />
drug plan, or have plans that don’t<br />
cover the cost.<br />
Canada is the only developed country<br />
in the world with a universal health<br />
care program that doesn’t include a universal<br />
prescription drug plan. In New<br />
Zealand, where a public authority negotiates<br />
on behalf of the entire country, a<br />
year’s supply of the cholesterol-busting<br />
drug Lipitor costs just $15 a year, compared<br />
to $811 in Canada. That’s why<br />
Canada needs to combine the purchasing<br />
power of all Canadians under one plan.<br />
An annual investment of $1 billion by the<br />
federal government will mean Canadians<br />
save $7.3 billion a year on the medications<br />
they need. It also means savings<br />
for government. A report released by the<br />
Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates<br />
savings of $4.2 billion a year for the federal<br />
government alone.<br />
The <strong>IATSE</strong> is working with the Canadian<br />
Labour Congress and all of the<br />
county’s unions for a fairer, more progressive<br />
healthcare system. We believe<br />
that anyone who has healthcare should<br />
also have coverage for the medicines<br />
they need. That’s why we’re now fighting<br />
to win a universal prescription drug<br />
plan to cover everyone in the country,<br />
regardless of their income, age, or<br />
where they work or live. No one should<br />
have to choose between groceries and<br />
the prescription they need. For more<br />
info or to sign the petition, please visit<br />
www.aplanforeveryone.ca.<br />
WWW.<strong>IATSE</strong>.NET<br />
8 OFFICIAL BULLETIN
Change language