Dinn urges Premier to negotiate with Ottawa after pharmacare funding left out of budget
After the federal budget revealed no additional funding for the federal pharmacare program, Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Leader Jim Dinn wrote to the Premier on November 10th, urging him to engage with the federal government and advocate for the province to join the program.
The Newfoundland and Labrador NDP has consistently urged the former Liberal government to negotiate with Ottawa to secure the province’s participation and access funding for diabetes and contraceptive medications. Dinn says the Liberals squandered that opportunity, and he now fears it may be too late.
“It’s beyond me how the former Liberal government could refuse to engage with Ottawa on a program that would have covered contraceptives and diabetes medications for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,” said Dinn. “One in three people in our province live with diabetes, and this funding could have made a real difference in ensuring everyone has access to the medication they need. Instead, it looks like government left money on the table.”
Dinn wrote to Premier Wakeham today asking him to advocate to the Prime Minister that Newfoundland and Labrador would greatly benefit from this program. He highlights the additional money we could save through no longer needing the provincial glucose monitoring program.
“As you know, our province already funds a glucose monitoring program. By participating in the national plan, those existing costs could be offset, allowing us to redirect savings to strengthen our public healthcare system as a whole,” Dinn wrote. “Moreover, the current provincial program is not universal and still requires income testing. By signing on to the federal program, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians living with diabetes would finally have access to coverage regardless of their income.”
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