The Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association is warning that the latest move by both levels of government to provide pharmacare to residents of Manitoba is disappointing and jeopardizes the access to medications that Manitobans receive through their employer-sponsored group benefits.

“We continue to believe that the best way to provide sustainable access that meets the needs of all Canadians, including Manitobans, is to provide coverage to those without access to workplace health benefits plans,” stated the CLHIA’s president and CEO, Stephen Frank. “With today’s uncertainty, spending tax dollars to have government take over services that are already being successfully delivered should be an easy page to turn. We need to focus on people who need help by targeting resources on those without access to workplace health benefits.” 

Bilateral agreements 

This repeated sentiment would appear to be falling on deaf ears as the Government of Canada continues work on bilateral agreements with provinces, most recently with Manitoba, which announced that the province will provide coverage for contraceptives, diabetes medications and hormone replacement therapy after June 2025. Two bilateral agreements, announced February 27, provide $219-milion over four years for universal coverage of contraceptives and diabetes medications, and $48-million to improve access to rare drugs, early diagnosis and screening under the Government of Canada’s National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases.

Rare diseases 

“Through this agreement, Manitoba will work with Canada and other provinces and territories to develop and implement a plan for improved screening and diagnostics for rare diseases,” the government stated in an announcement about the new funding deal. The statement then itemizes just five rare disease drugs that the program will fund. “The names of other drugs on the common list are published online on a drug-by-drug basis following the conclusion of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance price negotiations for each drug,” they add. The alliance is an independent organization that negotiates drug prices based on recommendations from l'Institut national d'excellence en sante et en services sociaux in Quebec and Canada's Drug Agency: Reimbursement Review for the rest of Canada.

The funding for rare diseases was announced in March 2024 and the Pharmacare Act in Canada later received Royal Asset and came into force later the same year, on October 10, 2024.