Coverage of birth control, diabetes medication part of Liberal-NDP pharmacare talks – CBC

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has threatened to end deal with Liberals if pharmacare legislation isn’t tabled soon

Feb 14, 2024

The federal government is considering covering the costs of birth control and diabetes medication as part of a national pharmacare plan currently being negotiated between the NDP and the governing Liberals.

CBC News spoke to sources with direct knowledge of the talks who aren’t authorized to speak publicly. The details were first reported by the Globe and Mail.

Discussions between the two parties are ongoing and the wording of the proposed pharmacare legislation has yet to be finalized.

British Columbia already covers birth control for its residents and Manitoba recently announced it plans to do the same.

Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries provide free contraception. In France, residents aged 25 and over can get reimbursed for contraception.

The average diabetes patient pays about $25 a day for insulin, continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps, says the B.C. Diabetes Foundation.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pharmacare-negotiations-birth-control-diabetes-1.7115549