Public coverage of drug costs reconsidered as population ages
Canadian governments are expected to adjust how pharmaceuticals are covered by the public purse as society continues to age and financial stressors continue to grow in the systems. Provincial governments provide drug cost coverage in different ways across the country, and while one model may not fit all provinces because of the differing demographics, provinces may […]
‘One of best outcomes’ of Bill C-14 is push for government to deliver on palliative care: Philpott
Health Minister Jane Philpott says “one of the best outcomes” of Parliament’s study and debate over the government’s hotly contested physician-assisted dying bill is how it’s “spurring” parliamentarians to make sure the government acts on creating better access to palliative care in Canada. Testifying during the four-hour the Senate committee-of-the-whole meeting last Wednesday, Ms. Philpott […]
Why Canada needs to improve residential care for aging populations, and why we aren’t doing it
Older people and their families often view long-term residential care as the last and worst resort for care, while policy makers see it as an expensive problem with a propensity for scandal. Provincial governments have been strategizing how to keep frail older persons out of residential care via a suite of programs such as home […]
Time to re-think health-care policy for the elderly
As the Canadian population continues to age, there is a need to revisit conventional thinking regarding the provision of health care services for seniors to ensure that the system is sustainable for all Canadians. There are a number of misperceptions in current thinking. First, there is a belief that a growing seniors’ population will result […]
Canada’s Aging Society
Medical technology marketplace too fragmented, forum hears
New medical technologies are here and ready to be adopted en masse by Canadians, but the marketplace is too fragmented and access too uneven for that to happen right away, said several speakers at an Ottawa forum on seniors. The spread of new technology like smartphones that are jam-packed with sensors is happening just as the […]
Taiwan has a role in ensuring global health security
OTTAWA—This year marks the eighth year that the Republic of China (Taiwan) has attended the annual assembly meeting of the World Health Organization as an observer. For most countries, invitations to this event are acquired without obstacles, but for Taiwan, participation in the WHO is often hard earned. In his speech at the World Health […]
Today in the House
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 The House will begin debating Liberal MP Geng Tan’s (Don Valley North, Ont.) Motion 38, that the government should each year proclaim the first day of the Lunar Year as the beginning of the 15-day “Spring Festival.” The House Agriculture Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in room 7-52 of 131 Queen St. […]
Better health is possible for Canada
Brooklyn-born, Ohio-raised surgeon and author Dr. Atul Gawande has eloquent and informed advice that we here in Canada must heed to renew our health-care system: “Better is possible. It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. And above all, it takes a willingness to try.” The Canadian Medical […]
Time to take the high road for humanity
TORONTO—Médecins Sans Frontières’ recent decision to pull out of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) has certainly garnered much public attention. The agency pulled away from the summit on the premise that the inaugural gathering would “not address the weaknesses in humanitarian action and emergency response, particularly in conflict areas or epidemic situations.” This was unquestionably, […]
