For Immediate Release
October 16, 2024
NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) is calling on the Premier to begin conversations with the Federal government for Newfoundland and Labrador to adopt the Federal Pharmacare Bill, which reached Royal Assent in the House of Commons last week.
The goal for this program is to be implemented in all province and territories by next spring, and Dinn wants the Premier to take the lead and begin discussions with his Federal cousins on adopting the program here.
“The new program will help the thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who struggle to pay for prescription birth control and diabetes medicine. It will also help the province with its health care costs. Last year diabetes care alone cost our health care system approximately $72 million,” Dinn writes.
“The Pharmacare Bill is a win for all Canadians, and we expect the Premier to see the benefits for many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and take the lead on signing on as a province.”
A copy of the letter is attached.
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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca
October 15, 2024
Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
PO Box 8700
Confederation Building
St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6
Dear Premier,
We were so pleased that the Pharmacare Bill received Royal Assent in the House of Commons last evening. The new program will help the thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who struggle to pay for prescription birth control and diabetes medicine. It will also help the province with its health care costs. Last year diabetes care alone cost our health care system approximately $72 million.
I am writing today to encourage your government to immediately begin discussions with the federal Minister of Health to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador is a leader in signing on to the newly passed pharmacare program.
Your counterpart in British Columbia has already signed a memorandum of understanding to provide coverage and the federal health minister hopes to have all provinces and territories on board by next spring.
Excitingly, the law also includes the provision for an expert panel in the next month to investigate the next steps in establishing a full-fledged pharmacare program. A truly national program will be tremendous for residents’ health, and will help our province’s fiscal situation enormously.
This is a momentous time for the country and the province. I look forward to a positive reply regarding our province’s adoption of the program.
Sincerely,
James Dinn, MHA
St. John’s Centre
Leader, NL NDP
cc. John Hogan, Minister of Health and Community Services
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