Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank the panel members for appearing before the committee today.
Mr. MacLeod, your recommendation is that:
This national pharmacare system should be provided through public insurance. This will ensure all Canadians have the same access to pharmaceutical coverage. It will unify buying power.... A public insurance system should...be accountable to Canadians through an arm's-length agency free from any profit-motive.
In the next paragraph you say, “This system must also allow individuals and employers to continue to purchase optional private drug insurance.”
When we have national pharmacare that is going to cover all Canadians, why do we need any private drug insurance? If national pharmacare is going to leave the door open for companies, what role do you see for private insurance?