Report Suggests High-Income Seniors Pay For Their Own Drugs

Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews asked for suggestions on how the province can get the most for its health care dollars and she received a potentially controversial answer.

A report by TD Bank economists Don Drummond and Derek Burleton, set to be released Thursday, suggests affluent seniors should pay for their own drugs in an effort to rein in health care spending.

Currently, the Ontario Drug Benefit Program covers everyone over the age of 65, but the report suggests higher income seniors should cover their own medication expenses.

The analysis of Ontario’s health care costs suggests that, if left unchecked, health care spending will make up 80 per cent of total program spending in the province by 2030 – a staggering 34 per cent increase.

The bankers offered a total of 10 recommendations in their report aimed at trimming costs and boosting efficiency while maintaining high quality of care.

The provincial government moved earlier this month to link hospital executives’ pay to the performance of their facilities as an incentive to reduce wait times and boost positive patient experiences.

The government is also slated to implement controversial changes to the Ontario Drug Plan next month. It’s a move aimed at lowering drug costs that has outraged pharmacists. The government is banning professional allowances paid to druggists by generic drug makers, which it claims boosts the costs of generic medications.

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