title: Stop the merry-go-round.
abstract: The proposal for a system of catastrophic drug insurance fails to deal with both equity and cost issues in a comprehensive manner and will still leave many Canadians without adequate drug coverage. Retaining features of current provincial plans that give near first-dollar coverage to the poor and the elderly is a step forward. The idea of tying first-dollar insurance to drugs that are used for prevention and in disease management programs is worth exploring, but there are still many unanswered questions about disease management. A full public pharmacare plan with first-dollar coverage will increase public expenditures but reduce overall drug costs and distribute benefits more equitably.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Policy and Management, York University Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lexchin
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services; D009313:National Health Programs; D011050:Policy Making