Morneau’s apparent preference for a public-private system could also create tension within his party’s ranks if an upcoming report from the majority-Liberal health committee recommends a universal drug plan, as several observers say is likely. What Morneau seemed to be proposing, he said, is something like Quebec’s drug plan, which currently boasts the highest per-capita drug costs in Canada. One committee member, Liberal MP John Oliver, told a panel in December that he hopes to see national pharmacare implemented starting in 2020. Morneau’s position, he said, “flies in the face of the overwhelming evidence” that a universal public drug plan is the best solution for Canadians. “I think you’ll find a strong consensus on the health committee that (a national public plan) is the best way to go, not the system Bill Morneau described,” he said Thursday.

Source: National Post March 01, 2018 23:26 UTC