New Brunswick Telegraph Journal
Published September 19, 2008

Protect all against high drug costs

One sentence hidden in the Sept. 17 edition of your paper addresses a serious issue that should make those living in Atlantic Canada sit up and take notice,

"Dion also had a new campaign promise, saying he would spend $900 million on a plan to protect patients against catastrophic drug costs." Many of us are fortunate enough to have good health insurance plans that cover the medications we need but the truth is; we do not have universal health care in Canada. Patient organizations, and recently, even the provincial health ministers have been calling for a national catastrophic drug plan that ensures no Canadian suffers financial hardship because they cannot afford to pay for medications that help them live healthy, productive lives, indeed, sometimes helping them to live.

As our health-care system moves away from hospital-based to community-based care, more treatments will be given in the form of new, innovative therapies, outside of an institution. The problem is, only those with the good health insurance policies will be able to access those therapies. Universal health care? I don't think so.

LINDA WILHELM

Midland, Kings Co.