Minister of Health Mark Holland rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023.
As Canadians wait to see details of the Trudeau government’s highly anticipated pharmacare bill, Health Minister Mark Holland is signalling that new cost estimates released last week for a universal single-payer program may be too high for Ottawa to shoulder alone. The Parliamentary Budget Officer released new estimates showing total spending on prescription drugs under a single-payer universal drug plan would be $33.2 billion in 2024-25, rising to $38.9 billion in 2027-28.
This would increase existing spending on medications by provincial and federal governments by $11.2 billion in the first year, and $13.4 billion in five years.