Health Services Committee Summary – May 24, 2024

Ageing in Place – Since Ageing in Place is a priority of the Health Services Committee, it was broached at the Political Advocacy Committee on May 13, 2024. The list of possible elements necessary for inclusion into an Ageing In Place document were shared. PAC acknowledged that there has been a lot of work put into the document. They warn that this is going to be a long process and will require collaboration across our committees. A suggestion was made that the list be divided between the HSC members so that each person is working on one specific topic.

Committee Structure – Decisions about Chairs and committee membership would be made after the first executive Meeting following the 2024 AGM. If each province had one member on each committee, this would better reflect our membership.

Compilation of Ageing In Place Criteria – Posting relevant information on our website would make access much easier for all members.

Next steps will be finalized when committee structure is finalized after the AGM.

Bill C-64 – an Act Respecting Pharmacare – When directly questioned, Minister of Health Mark Holland indicated that an expansion in coverage is projected. It is felt by the HSC that a National Formulary and bulk buying are important components of the Universal Pharmacare Plan. It is likely that these measures will relieve some of the stress on provincial plans. There is a sense of urgency that C-64, be passed before the next federal election.

Canadian Dental Care Plan – In response to a letter written by the ACER-CART president, an invitation was issued by the Conservative Party to dialogue about the Canadian Dental Care Plan. The president and another executive member would participate in that meeting.  Discussion points might include: 1) Dentists not opting into the plan, 2) Seniors having to drop private dental plans because of cost, and 3) ineligibility of those with access to a plan.  A discussion with the Conservative Party might give us insight into their plan of action.  Canadian Dental Care Plan