QP - Birth Control Investment
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Today I joined advocates outside of Province House urging this government to finally invest in birth control, saving us all valuable dollars. We all save.
In British Columbia, there is an estimated $90 in savings for every dollar spent on contraceptive support. Nova Scotians don't need explanations or excuses, they need results. They want the same health care support that women and gender-diverse people have in British Columbia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon.
My question to the Premier is: When can Nova Scotians expect this government to cover the cost of birth control?
HON. TIM HOUSTON (The Premier) » : We believe all Nova Scotians should have access to all health care services they need at that time, including access to birth control. We know how important that is. There are a number of mechanisms already in the province through the Family Pharmacare Program. There's also a great number of Nova Scotians who have coverage through private insurance that covers birth control. We know that people on Income Assistance have access to free birth control as well.
We are looking carefully at an arrangement with the federal government. We know that some provinces have signed into that deal. Many are saying, "Uh oh, we wish we didn't." We need to be very careful about these things and thoughtful and we'll continue to have those discussions with the federal government.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Women in this province do not universally have coverage. For many women it's more expensive to sign-up for Pharmacare than it is to get birth control and they can't afford either. An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
In this province the government covers the cost of medical and surgical abortions, advanced endometriosis care, and women who present in crowded emergency rooms with complications like ovarian cysts. Paying for surgeries and emergency services are more expensive than paying for contraception.
Will this government stop treating women's health care as an afterthought and make birth control free?
THE PREMIER « » : I absolutely do not accept that this government treats women's health care as an afterthought. That is completely inaccurate and more than a little bit over the top I'd say, Speaker.
We know there are gaps in the system and we'll continue to try to work to fill those gaps. We also know there's an incredible amount of work being done; there's more to be done for sure, but there is an incredible amount of work being done.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Contraception is health care for women and gender-diverse people and they don't have access to it. There is an epidemic of gender-based violence in this province. All members of this House agree on that.
Women and gender-diverse people living in abusive relationships deserve support. Every Nova Scotian should be able to live with safety and dignity. Covering the cost of birth control removes financial barriers, allows bodily autonomy. These are the things that abusive partners use and abuse to maintain control. According to AccessNow, women in Canada who face intimate partner violence are two times as likely to experience an unwanted pregnancy.
In a province where gender-based violence is an epidemic, will the Premier take this step to help survivors?
THE PREMIER « » : We know that many people do have access but there are barriers to some, we do know that. We'll continue to work with the federal government to see what's available. We'll continue to look at options, as we do with health care in general. We'll continue to look for ways to support Nova Scotians overall, as we did of course with a $500 million tax cut which unfortunately the NDP voted against.
We know there's a number of facets to supporting Nova Scotians and we'll continue to do that. I'm sure that every time we've advanced something the NDP will vote against it, as they always do. We'll keep moving forward, Speaker. We know there are gaps to fill.