This afternoon, the federal government tabled their 2024-2025 budget. Included is funding for the continued expansion of national dental care coverage, and crucial funding for the roll out of universal, single-payer Pharmacare — both key commitments in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the NDP and the Liberals.

EDMONTON -- On Friday, it was announced that the federal NDP and Liberals had reached a deal on Pharmacare that would include single-payer coverage of contraceptives and diabetes medication and equipment, with full details and draft legislation to be revealed this week. Yesterday, Alberta Health Minister Adrianne LaGrange’s office released a statement stating they already intend to opt out of the coming national Pharmacare plan, even before the details have been publicly announced.

Friends of Medicare, along with over a dozen advocates and health care workers from Alberta, are in Ottawa this week to take part in the Canadian Health Coalition’s Health & Hope Lobby on Parliament Hill.

OTTAWA — Participants from across Alberta will be meeting with Members of Parliament from all three of our federal parties, as well as Senators, to push for universal single-payer Pharmacare, safer long-term care, expanded public health care, and to stop privatization through the enforcement of the Canada Health Act. Friends of Medicare is also proud to support the rally for public health care on Parliament Hill tomorrow afternoon.

EDMONTON — Yesterday, it was announced that the tabling of a National Pharmacare bill in the House of Commons will be delayed into the new year. This extends the timeline that was laid out in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the NDP and the governing Liberals, which stipulated that legislation should be tabled and passed by the end of 2023.

EDMONTON — This morning, the federal government announced a major expansion of dental care coverage for Canadians to be rolled out over the coming months. Dental care is one of the priorities that was laid out in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the NDP and the governing Liberals, which included a timeline that called for seniors, folks living with disabilities and those under 18 to be covered under a dental insurance program to be announced by the end of this year.

Every year, November 14 is recognized as World Diabetes Day. This year’s theme is Access to Diabetes Care, a reminder that we have a long way to go to ensure those living with diabetes in Alberta have access to the care they need.

Albertans will remember last year, when the UCP government announced that they would be terminating the Insulin Pump Benefits Program, impacting up to 4,000 Albertans with diabetes. Following massive public outcry from Friends of Medicare, Pump 4 Life, and thousands of grassroots Albertans, the government finally conceded by announcing they were stopping their plans to end the Insulin Pump Benefits Program and instead, struck a working group to consult on diabetes care. No new announcements or improvements to coverage have come since that working group was formed.

On September 7, Friends of Medicare hosted a public townhall event in Edmonton, on how we can achieve a national, universal, public townhall for all. 

We were joined by panelists Elizabeth Kwan, Senior Researcher for the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Pauline Worsfold, Chair of the Canadian Health Coalition (CHC), and Judy Lederer, President of the Edmonton Area Council of the Congress of Union Retirees of Canada (CURC) and co-chair of the Alberta Pharmacare Working Group. We heard from our panelists and participants about how critical this political moment is in the fight for a universal, public drug program — and how important it is that we don't miss our chance to act on it.

Judy Lederer also sits on the board of Friends of Medicare, and has shared her presentation with us here:

The Confidence and Supply Agreement signed between the federal Liberal and New Democratic Parties puts universal, single-payer, public Pharmacare on the House of Commons agenda this fall, with a promise to table and pass a national act before the end of 2023. A private members bill, tabled by the NDP earlier this year, lays out what they believe a national act should look like. With Parliament reconvening today, Friends of Medicare is renewing our call for the federal government to act to urgently implement Pharmacare.

Winnipeg (Treaty No. 1 Territory), July 10, 2023 - As Canada’s provincial and territorial premiers meet, Health Coalitions across Canada are calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to  demand an end to the privatization of public health care by premiers. 

Alberta Seniors’ Week is the first full week of June every year, and is a chance for Albertans to show appreciation for Alberta’s seniors and all that they contribute to Alberta. 

EDMONTON — This Senior’s Week, Public Interest Alberta and Friends of Medicare continue to call for the return of an independent Seniors’ Advocate, for Alberta to get on board with universal pharmacare, and for a comprehensive system of service delivery that ensures the well-being of seniors by ensuring their mental, physical, social and financial needs are met.