The Pharmacare Act received royal assent on October 10, 2024. Since then the Government of Canada has been working to reach agreement with provinces and territories to provide universal, single-payer, first dollar access to a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications.
So far, the Minister of Health has announced bilateral agreements with Manitoba ($219 million over four years), British Columbia ($670 million over four years), Prince Edward Island ($30 million over 4 years) and Yukon ($9.5 million over 4 years). Under the agreements, Manitoba and British Columbia will also provide free public coverage for hormone replacement therapy. Coverage is expected to begin in May 2025 (Prince Edward Island), June 2025 (Manitoba), January 2026 (Yukon) and March 2026 (British Columbia).
The most significant part of the Act is the coverage for diabetes medication. It is estimated roughly 3% of the Canadian population take antidiabetics which cost an average of $3,000 to $5,000 per year. These would be costs coming off employer group insurance plans. Please note: SG-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, are not among the list of covered anti-diabetics.
Contraceptives are relatively inexpensive costing roughly $250 to $400 per year. The potential savings off Extended Health plans will be less significant.