Health advocates call on Liberals to keep pharmacare promise ahead of budget – CTV
September 22, 2025
OTTAWA — Health care advocates say they’re worried the Liberal government will backtrack on its promise to create a universal, single-payer pharmacare program.
Frederique Chabot, executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, said conversations with government officials lead her to believe Ottawa is “seriously considering” a different approach that would instead provide coverage to people without private insurance.
“A fill-the-gap approach is not a good investment for Canadians, and it’s not a solution that will actually improve health outcomes in the way that real universal, single-payer pharmacare will do,” she said.
A 2019 expert panel recommended the creation of a universal, single-payer program that would see the federal government cover the cost of medications through the medicare system.
The C.D. Howe Institute think tank released a report of its own last week calling on Ottawa to consider paring back the program to a mixed model, similar to the one in Quebec, that would provide government coverage for people without private insurance.
