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
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.