Layton's Prescription Drug Plan

[scribblet]

Wow, now who's promising to spend big bucks.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/st...2fe3a8&k=88859#

Layton promises billion dollar national drug plan

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"We should be making sure that seniors and all Canadians have equitable access to medically necessary prescription drugs, regardless of where they live or how much money they've made," Layton said Wednesday. "We can't fix all the issues with prescription drugs all at once. But we can take some practical first steps and get moving in the right direction."

The NDP prescription drug plan would 50 per cent of medically necessary prescription drug costs above $1,500 per year per person. The program would be delivered through a transfer to provinces and territories with the hope the provinces would reduce their own deductibles, expand access to prescription drugs, and extend coverage

[Wilber]

The Provinces are responsible for providing Medicare and education. It's to bad Federal politicians can't keep their faces out of the provinces business and stick to their own responsibilities. That way they wouldn't have to skim off 70 cents of every tax dollar, and the Provincial Governments would have the resources they need to do what their constituents want.

[Rovik]

If all provinces were all equal in resources and money, say like what Alberta has, then there would be no problem with the provinces providing medicare and education. But there is one problem, they're not all equal.

Therefore, without the federal govt. to even the playing field, what will happen is huge disparities in medicare and education services in the different provinces. Alberta, for example, would have perhaps the best systems while the poorer provinces would languish behind and the people in these provinces would see their lives adversely impacted in a big way.

Basically, you would have a two, three, even four tiered systems across the country and there would be no standards.

This shouldn't be acceptable in a country like Canada.

[Wilber]

I don't have a big problem with Ottawa trying to even the field from a financial point of view. I do have a problem when they try and dictate how it will be done.

[Riverwind]

Therefore, without the federal govt. to even the playing field, what will happen is huge disparities in medicare and education services in the different provinces.

That is what equalization is for. There is no need for the federal government to dictact standards.

[Rovik]

That is what equalization is for. There is no need for the federal government to dictact standards.

True that is what equalization is for, but with the current formulas there is still not enough money for provinces like Newfoundland to match the healthcare systems of Alberta and that includes matching doctors' and other health professionals' salaries in both provinces. This is too prevent doctors from leaving the poorer provinces for better money in the richer provinces creating doctor shortages. Equalization must be increased for this too happen.

The federal govt., when it gives out money to the provinces for healthcare, must get a promise from the different provinces that the money will indeed go the healthcare and not used as a slush fund for whatever the provincial govt deems the money should go towards. This to me would be almost a pseudo-standard.