Statement: Canada’s life and health insurers urge government’s expert panel on pharmacare to protect Canadians’ health benefits coverage

(Toronto, November 18, 2024) The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) has issued the following statement by Stephen Frank, President and CEO in response to the Government of Canada announcing its expert panel for the creation of a national pharmacare program.

The 27 million Canadians who access their medications through health benefit plans need to know that their plans will be protected. The composition of this panel excludes industry voices to speak on behalf of health benefit plan members or Canadian employers, and also excludes patient groups. The panel members, while respected experts in their respective fields, are almost entirely well-known supporters of the single-payer model, which is a disappointing signal for a committee mandated to explore a variety of models. Canadians want and would be best served by a pharmacare plan that helps those who need help, while protecting what is already working well. Canada’s life and health insurers will continue to collaborate with provinces and territories to ensure that Canadians have timely and affordable access to the medications they need. We believe that will be best achieved by targeting resources to those Canadians who need it most.

About the CLHIA
The CLHIA is a voluntary association whose member companies account for 99 per cent of Canada’s life and health insurance business. These insurers provide a wide range of financial security products including life insurance, annuities (including TFSAs, RRSPs, RRIFs and pensions) and supplementary health insurance to nearly 30 million Canadians. They hold over $1 trillion in assets in Canada and employ almost 180,000 Canadians.

For more information:
Susan Murray
Vice President, Government Relations and Policy
(613) 691-6002 / smurray@clhia.ca