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news.A Canadian study on healthcare policies has found that disparities in the amount paid by outpatients for treatment across Canada's 10 provinces led to inequalities in clinical outcomes and access to medicines throughout the country, according to scripnews.com.
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The study revealed that premiums, the fixed amount paid by a patient in order to be eligible for reimbursement; deductibles, the amount or percentage of income that makes up the first part of the cost that the patient must pay before the insurer contributes; co-payment; maximum annual beneficiary contributions; and eligibility criteria, varied from province-to-province. The study also noted that patients aged over 65 were most affected by the discrepancies in provincial reimbursement policies.
The discrepancies in the Canadian healthcare system led to financial hardships and adverse health effects. According to the authors of the study, a national pharmaceutical strategy and a consistent pan-Canadian approach to prescription drug coverage may help curb the inequalities in access to healthcare.