Pharmacare in Canada

Our leadership at National Association of Federal Retirees has invited us (the membership) to tune into a : Pharmacare in Canada Virtual discussion.

Federal Retirees is teaming up with The Walrus for an exciting virtual event. Join us on April 20 when we ask the question: would universal prescription drug coverage create a healthier Canada?

So far Pharmacare is still unfinished business. The majority of Federal Retirees (including my diplomat daughter do have PSHCP (Public Service Healthcare Plan) where we pay a monthly stipend and pay 20% of the cost of prescriptions with 80% picked up by the plan. We also have a fairly generous Dental plan.

I will be on vacation on the scheduled day but might be able to catch the video when I get back.

Our current PM has had it on his promise list for awhile but COVID-19 you know. Recently our (Centrist) Liberal Party and somewhat leftist NDP have formed a coalition that ensures the minority government won’t fall before this legislation and the Dental Plan that the NDP wants as their pound of flesh.

I heard today that Canada is the only country that has Universal healthcare but doesn’t have Pharmacare. Hopefully we can change that in the not too distant future?

Anymouse

3 Likes

I heard today that Canada is the only country that has Universal healthcare but doesn’t have Pharmacare.

I wonder how much lobbying US Pharma does North of the border?

intercst

1 Like

I wonder how much lobbying US Pharma does North of the border?

intercst

Donations to political parties is limited to Canadian individuals in limited amounts (with a loophole or two) in that a wealthy person can donate the limit to multiple candidates in the party. It is illegal for corporations and unions to donate at all.

I don’t have time to read it right now.

Bribing politicians is actually illegal … Gasp!

Tim

https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=fin&&d…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_political_financing_in…

2 Likes

Bribing politicians is actually illegal … Gasp!

If you don’t want politicians to be bought, decrease the influence of government to the point that they aren’t worth buying.

Because if they are worth buying, a way will be found to buy them.

3 Likes

If you don’t want politicians to be bought, decrease the influence of government to the point that they aren’t worth buying.

Because if they are worth buying, a way will be found to buy them.

Would be brilliant except what is being bought is an impotent government.

1 Like

Because if they are worth buying, a way will be found to buy them.

Once upon a time, before bribery was legalized, pols on the take were prosecuted.

Abscam (sometimes written ABSCAM) was an FBI sting operation in the late 1970s and early 1980s that led to the convictions of seven members of the United States Congress, among others, for bribery and corruption.[1] The two-year investigation initially targeted trafficking in stolen property and corruption of prominent businessmen, but later evolved into a public corruption investigation. The FBI was aided by the Justice Department and a convicted con-man, Mel Weinberg, in videotaping politicians accepting bribes from a fictitious Arabian company in return for various political favors.[2]

More than 30 political figures were investigated, and six members of the House of Representatives and one senator were convicted.[3] One member of the New Jersey State Senate, members of the Philadelphia City Council, the Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, and an inspector for the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service were also convicted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abscam

The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that (three Senators) had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB’s investigation of Lincoln Savings,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five

But the US is much shinier now.

Steve

3 Likes

Because if they are worth buying, a way will be found to buy them.

Perhaps but when a candidate for the Conservatives from Labrador won his seat in parliament and it came out that he had loaned himself $5000 to help with his election expenses, he was tossed by his party leader.

Rules is Rules. You can’t even bribe yourself. }};-D

Tim

1 Like