#IUD #pill #implant #Ottawa #female #contraceptives #free
The Canadian government wants to make prescription contraceptives completely free, Ottawa said on Saturday, detailing the first part of its national drug coverage plan.
The “most common” contraceptives, such as the IUD (hormonal or copper), the hormonal implant, the contraceptive pill or the morning-after pill, will thus be covered for nine million Canadian women, said the Deputy Prime Minister. Canadian Chrystia Freeland during a press conference in a Toronto pharmacy.
“Women should be free to choose the contraception they need without cost being a barrier — so we’re making it free,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau added on X.
Women should be free to choose the contraception they need without cost being a barrier – so we make it free.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) March 30, 2024
In Canada, the contraceptive pill costs up to 300 Canadian dollars (205 euros) per year, while the hormonal IUD can go up to 500 dollars per unit, specifies the government.
This announcement details the first part of the bill announced at the end of February which, once implemented, will mark the largest expansion of its public health system in decades.
The plan will notably include coverage for diabetes medications, such as insulin, for “more than 3.7 million Canadians.”
However, the cost and associated delays have not been revealed.
The federal government must now obtain the agreement of the provinces, responsible for health, for the implementation of this program.
However, some — notably Alberta and Quebec — have already announced that they do not wish to participate in the plan.
This drug plan follows lengthy negotiations between the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his left-wing ally in Parliament. The New Democratic Party (NDP) had conditioned its support on the implementation of this program.
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