Question Period Notes
About this information
In accordance with the Access to Information Act, the government proactively publishes the package of question period notes that were prepared by a government institution for the minister and that were in use on the last sitting day in June and December.
The question period notes may be partially or fully redacted in accordance with the legislation; for example, if the notes contain information related to national security or personal information. (Learn more about exemptions and exclusions.)
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• Drug shortages pose a risk to the health of Canadians. The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed vulnerabilities in the drug supply chain that impacted supplies of drugs required to treat patients with COVID-19 and other health conditions.
• The need for vigilance in maintaining the national drug supply continues. Health Canada is continuing its surveillance activities and engagement with provinces and territories, and key supply chain players to mitigate impacts and move towards prevention of drug shortages where possible.
• In New Brunswick (NB), Regulation 84-20 of the NB Medical Services Payment Act limits coverage of surgical abortion services to approved hospitals (three NB hospitals currently offer the service – two in Moncton and one in Bathurst). This means that individuals who receive these services at Clinic 554 in Fredericton are required to pay out-of-pocket. Patient charges for abortion services received in private clinics are considered user charges under the Canada Health Act. This regulation also poses concerns under the comprehensiveness and accessibility criteria of the Canada Health Act. Evidence indicates that some abortion clinics in Ontario (ON) are also charging patients to access insured services.
• Overview of federal action on key Canada Health Act compliance issues.
• Budget 2022 provides funding to Health Canada to provide dental care for some Canadians.
• What the government is doing to protect healthcare workers against harassment, particularly in light of the pandemic?
• Home care services help people receive needed care at home, rather than in a hospital or long-term care facility, and to live as independently as possible in the community. Home care usually includes professional services at no cost to the client (e.g., physiotherapy, nursing, and occupational therapy) and home support/personal care (e.g., personal hygiene, dressing, feeding, and toileting), which is income-tested in most PTs.
• There is evidence that COVID-19 had a negative impact on access to home care services during the pandemic, including both professional services and home support/personal care. This situation increased social isolation of seniors and led to a higher burden for family caregivers.
• Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has been working collaboratively with provinces and territories to protect vulnerable Canadians in long-term care. The federal government has responded in a number of ways, including through key investments made to support residents and staff.
• Recent media stories allege that MAID applicants are being forced to choose MAID in the absence of adequate housing and other supports. Opposition MPs also claim that there are numerous cases of non-compliance with MAID requirements.
• One member of the Special Joint Committee conducting the statutory review of MAID has proposed that Special Joint Committee study the alleged non-compliance concerns.
• Tabling of the report of the Expert Panel on MAID and Mental Illness may trigger more claims that Canada’s MAID framework puts vulnerable people at risk.
• Federal Action to improve access to palliative care in Canada
• The Government of Canada recognizes the potential for Canada to leverage digital health tools and data to improve health care and outcomes for Canadians.
• While there are some pockets of success across the country, the pandemic reinforced our country’s long-standing challenges in being able to access and share timely data across the health system, due in part to lack of consistent standards and approaches for sharing data.
• Building on what we learned during the pandemic, the Government is committed to collaborating with provincial and territorial governments to build the foundations needed to better use, access and share health data.