Can we all just stop for a second and appreciate Canada? Our western neighbour has to be one of the most progressive nations on earth, with one of the most beautiful leaders (Justin Trudeau). And today Canada got even better: in the province of Ontario i.e. where Toronto is, prescription medications are free for 25s, and the abortion pill will now also be free to everyone.
It's a major achievement, especially for those on welfare or with children, but also for young women who now have access to free terminations, should they choose, reports News1130.
The bill was passed down overnight, after years of restricting health-care funding growth. The new Ontario budget promises to increase health-care spending by a total of $11.5 billion over the next three years.
But the biggest surprise policy announcement of the budget is free prescription medication for residents under age 25. The pharmacare program will cover medication for all of the province’s four million children, regardless of their family’s income.
It will cover the 4,400-plus drugs included in the Ontario Drug Benefit Program such as antibiotics, asthma inhalers, diabetes medication, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder medication. It also includes oral cancer medication. This is seriously amazing.
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Another major win is public funding for the new abortion pill Mifegymiso, the two-drug formula for medical abortion. Surgical abortion is already covered so the abortion pill will provide an alternative to women for pregnancies up to seven weeks. The pill can cost as much as $400 a dose in some parts of Ontario, reports the National Post.
The pharmacare program is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2018.
Here's some Justin Trudeau for no real reason other than we love him:
