Health committee  No. When you look at the principles in clause 4, it's, again, talking about working with indigenous peoples, provinces, territories and stakeholders on how to implement the funding aspect. Again, as we mentioned earlier, “rare diseases” are especially identified there. It continues with diabetes treatments and contraceptives.

Health committee  No. There is not one union in this country that would agree to eliminating the private programs that exist everywhere.

Health committee  Honestly, stop stalling on providing Canadians' access to medication. This is opening the door for equality in our health care system. I support this bill and will work on improving it in the years to come.

Health committee  First of all, I totally agree with you on OHIP+. We all celebrated when it was introduced. The only downfall was that we were hoping the federal government would be doing that, similarly as they did with the dental plan. When you use the word “choice”, I see it again as an equal playing field for the essential medications that are prescribed across this country.

Health committee  MP Kitchen, yes, any bill could be improved, but it has to start somewhere. This is a start based on 30 years of evidence. I do commend your wife for her role, and I'm sure she's a great patient advocate. I'm probably the best nurse advocate there is in the country. I've been elected 11 times to do that over the last 22 years.

Health committee  That would be the best scenario, but in 2024, until the act and until the program has some experience, where it will have an impact on our employer-funded health programs, for sure, and where that money will be reinvested will depend on the committees in the provinces and in all employment....

Health committee  I can't explain it, honestly, not with specific numbers. What I can explain.... Let's say the diabetic drugs are 10% of your health care costs, and it's spread around. That 10% will be reinvested in something else, because it will be covered by the province and the federal government's plan.

Health committee  Until we have experience, nobody will be able to tell you the exact amount. Now, saying that, I'm sure there's an economist that might testify and be able to do that.

Health committee  I haven't practised in over 25 years, so I'm really not the person to ask. I'm a registered nurse, not a nurse practitioner. What we have done over the years is that we've brought practising nurses—and physicians have come also—to talk to parliamentarians on the lack of access to drugs.

Health committee  They're below $50. You're safe.

Health committee  Yes, and that is similar to the question on poverty. Access to health care is about primary health care and about access to medication, acute care and long-term care—and I'm forgetting, I'm sorry, mental health. If we're not able to fill all those silos—right now they're working in silos—our society will not be as healthy as possible, so availability of prescription drugs....

Health committee  First of all, this bill doesn't deal with physiotherapists and support hose. It deals with two categories of prescription drugs. What it will do is bring equity across the country. For our nurses, I never got the mandate to examine their own plans. That's at the bargaining table in every province and territory, and they do a great job.

Health committee  I'll negotiate a better plan for them.

Health committee  Dr. Ellis, I have 20 years of mandate—nationally—to negotiate a national pharmacare program from nurses from every sector of this country, and they are not worried about not having a plan. They'll always have a plan. Some are richer. If you look at Alberta, the plan is very rich in Alberta, on every facet compared to my own province of New Brunswick, but that is negotiated at the provincial level and will continue to be negotiated at the provincial and territorial levels.

Health committee  I think you just answered your own question. As MP Robert Kitchen said, the bill states that it's really up to the federal minister to conduct consultations with the provinces, territories and experts in order to determine what will be on the formulary. We obviously have to work with Quebec and its experts, but we also have to look at what's going on beyond our borders.