Why is Prince Edward Island the only province in Canada that is not committed to providing catastrophic drug coverage for its residents?

Today in Prince Edward Island, many Islanders are facing high drug costs we cannot afford. According to Health Canada, the purpose of catastrophic drug coverage is to protect patients and their families from undue financial hardship when they need access to required medications. Currently there is only partial coverage in PEI for low income families, seniors and those prescribed particular medications included on the province’s high cost drug program. This leaves many residents to rely on private health insurance to cover the costs associated with their treatments for chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, more than 25% of Islanders do not have private health insurance and are left to fend for themselves.

As treatments and drug therapies improve, serious illnesses are increasingly being managed outside the hospital setting. As a result, PEI residents are shouldering a growing proportion of the costs associated with their treatment. In fact, Islanders are paying a much higher percentage of their net household income on prescription drugs than other Canadians.

In February of 2009, the Premier and Minister of Health announced plans to modernize the Island’s outdated and inadequate drug programs recognizing the programs’ inadequacies. Today, many Islanders are still falling through the cracks as there have been no changes to the programs available to those seeking coverage for medications.

Action

The PEI Health Charities Network has been working to bring this critical issue to the attention of the provincial government. We are holding the Premier and Minister of Health accountable to their 2009 promise and are urging them to make the implementation of affordable and accessible drug coverage for all Islanders a top priority.

The Network believes all Islanders deserve equal access to the most appropriate, highest-quality medications and health services, regardless of where they live and whether they are receiving treatment in hospital or at home. To that end, we are advocating for affordable and accessible drug coverage for all Islanders. The establishment of a comprehensive program in this province will be an investment in the future health of Islanders.

Quick facts on catastrophic drug coverage

The word ‘catastrophic’ refers to the devastating financial impact high drug costs can have on families or individuals who cannot afford to pay
Public prescription drug coverage should apply not only to single high-cost drugs, but also to the accumulated costs of all of the drugs needed by a person with one or more chronic diseases
Out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs should not exceed 3-5% of net household income, i.e. a person or family with an income of $20,000 would pay no more than $1,000 yearly for prescription drugs
It is estimated that 25 per cent of Islanders, or approximately 36,000 residents of the province, do not have any insurance coverage for prescription drugs.
Over one in seven families in Prince Edward Island pays over three per cent of its net household income on prescription drugs – a proportion that is 66 per cent greater than for Canada as a whole.
Prince Edward Island is one of only 2 provinces in Canada without a comprehensive catastrophic drug program (New Brunswick is the other)
Those who have a private health care plan may find their plan does not pay for new or expensive drugs and treatments
Both Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia have catastrophic drug programs that can be accessed by any resident not enrolled in another provincial plan

Sources: Canadian Cancer Society, New Brunswick and Catastrophic Drug Coverage for Prince Edward Island – A proposal by the Prince Edward Island Health Charities Network

The Campaign for Coverage is supported by:

Alzheimer's Society

Arthritis Society

Canadian Cancer Society

Canadian Diabetes Association

Kidney Cancer Canada

Kidney Foundation of Canada