Federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters Friday that provinces will now be penalized for allowing private diagnostic clinics to charge user fees, with similar rules on the way for virtual and other types of care.
For now, that means a total of $1.3 million is being clawed back from this year’s federal health transfer to New Brunswick.
“These deductions are here to protect Canadians that have had to pay for medically necessary services,” Duclos said Friday.
There are several clinics that offer blood tests and diagnostic imaging in New Brunswick for a fee, allowing patients to get faster results than they might from the hospital system. The federal government wants those to be covered by Medicare, which is the right move according to Bernadette Landry with the New Brunswick Health Coalition.
“The fact that some New Brunswickers have had to pay for necessary medical needs was illegal really, it was not respecting the Canada Health Act,” she said.
Duclos also signaled that the feds will be forcing provinces to cover more services soon, like virtual care and scope of practice changes.
“These beneficial changes to how we use technology and workers comes with payments that people must make,” he said.
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In New Brunswick, virtual visits through the maple platform are covered by Medicare, but other treatment outlets that arose during the pandemic are not.
Pharmacists are now able to treat about 30 minor ailments, but only a handful are covered by Medicare. Treatment for urinary tract infections, contraception management and prescription renewal have been covered since earlier this year. But patients have to pay a fee between $20 and $25 when seeking care for smoking cessation, rashes, cold sores and a variety of other conditions.
The New Brunswick pharmacists association has been vocal in asking for that to change.
“Right now patients are being sent to community pharmacy for a lot of these minor ailments for assessment and for treatment, but unfortunately they’re not all payed for by Medicare, so that causes confusion on behalf of the patients,” said Jake Reid, the executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association.
Duclos said a letter clarifying what additional services must be covered will be coming soon.
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