No more paying for prescription birth control: B.C. to make Canadian history April 1
Paying for prescription birth control will be a thing of the past in British Columbia starting Saturday, marking a Canadian first.
Pharmacare is going to cover the cost of six different contraceptive methods beginning April 1., including copper intrauterine devices (IUDs), hormonal IUDs, plus hormone injections or implants, as well as the morning-after pill.
The latter method is the only one that won’t require a prescription, and some contraceptive brands are only partially covered.
Premier David Eby was in Vancouver Friday raising awareness for the initiative, which the province announced it planned to do on Feb. 28.
“It’s good news for everybody in British Columbia,” Eby told reporters outside the VCC-Clark SkyTrain station, as volunteers and members of his team held up signs reading ‘Free prescription contraception.”
“You don’t need access to a family doctor, we know not everyone has a family doctor,” said Eby. Adding his government was working to fix that problem. “But don’t let that stand in the way of going to a sexual health clinic in your community to access the support and services.”
Later this spring, the government says pharmacists will also be able to prescribe contraceptives, improving access to people living in rural and remote communities.
Contraceptives can be prescribed for any reason, including osteoporosis prevention, according to the B.C. government’s website.
Pharmacare still won’t cover cervical caps, condoms, diaphragms, patches, rings or sponges.
Being married to a doctor, Eby says he’s heard many stories of people who couldn’t afford the birth control that was best for their health, resulting in some choosing to abstain from using any.
“Wherever we can find an opportunity to provide a choice to people—but more than that, support them with the cost of daily life and ensure they’re not compromising their health because of cost—that’s what public system is all about, and that’s a point of pride for all Canadians,” the premier said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.