UCP government plans to charge seniors more for prescription drugs
Calgary – Following the UCP government’s 40 per cent increase of co-payments on senior’s drug plans, leaked cabinet documents reveal Danielle Smith’s UCP government has secret plans to charge average Albertans hundreds of millions of dollars more for their prescription drugs.
“Seniors across Alberta are struggling with the cost of living. The UCP government’s increase to drug co-pay is already a huge burden. This leaked plan shows this is just the beginning, the UCP plans on charging Alberta seniors even more and that’s cruel,” said Alberta’s New Democrat Shadow Minister for Health, Sarah Hoffman. “Making life even more expensive for people choosing between doctor-prescribed medicine, and food, rent, or utilities is heartless.”
The leaked documents outline that the UCP government’s increase in Albertan’s drug co-pays have been designed to cost Albertans $18 million in new fees. The new program could end up charging average Albertans hundreds or even thousands more in new prescription drug deductibles and costs every year.
The document argues for new deductibles, new higher co-pay caps, and states, “Average income seniors would see increased costs.” The program also ends all existing seniors’ drug plans without ever having consulted seniors on doing so.
“The UCP has already started charging seniors a lot more for their prescription drugs,” said Alberta's New Democrat Leader, Naheed Nenshi. “They’ve already started the process of charging people $10 more per prescription. But this new leaked plan makes it even worse. Their own documents show their plan will cost average Albertans even more. It suggests a senior couple will see their prescription bills more than double and will face hundreds of dollars in new costs for the drugs they already need. This is a massive burden for average Albertans. Under Danielle Smith, health care is in chaos, costs are going up, and wait times are increasing.”
“As Alberta’s former Health Minister I know we can expand the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance to bring costs down for Albertans,” said Hoffman. “Instead, Danielle Smith refuses to work with others, leaves federal money on the table, and denies Albertans the benefits other Canadians enjoy. We should be working with the other provinces and territories, and with the federal government, to advance a national pharmacare plan to improve benefits for everyone.”
“We need to protect our public health care and ensure medicine is accessible for everyone,” said Nenshi. “You deserve drugs that are affordable for you and those you love. You deserve a government you can trust with public health care and one that will make your life more affordable. You deserve better.”
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Watch the press conference with Naheed Nenshi and Sarah Hoffman here.