Federal money is on the table. Why not provide free birth control for Nova Scotians?

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : Manitoba has made history as the first province to sign the federal pharmacare agreement. Manitoba will now get $219 million over the next four years to cover medications like birth control. Providing free birth control would save Nova Scotians money. It would help address the gender-based violence epidemic. We have reminded this government about this opportunity countless times but we have yet to see any action. Why is Nova Scotia dragging its feet on signing this deal and giving Nova Scotians access to the medications they need?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Again, I'll answer the question that we are in active negotiations with the federal government regarding the deal. We need to make sure that this is a financially sustainable approach. We appreciate the opportunity that is before us, but we also have economic realities here that we need to ensure that if that money sunsets - and we expect that after three to five years it will - that we are going to have the capacity to continue to provide the same amount of coverage. In order to do that, we need to look at how we look at the natural resources in this province, how we generate economic development, how we do all of these things; but the Opposition have had nothing good to say about it since we started. I am very committed to looking at this deal and negotiating, but we need to look at the economic opportunities in this province.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : I know the minister knows this, but reproductive health is an economic opportunity for Nova Scotians. It's all connected. Manitoba didn't wait for the federal money to come in. The province started covering birth control in the Fall because it knew it was the right thing to do, and it was economically sound. We are telling the government that there is money for them on the table right now and every day they delay, Nova Scotians are forced to spend more of their own money to cover this medication. My question is: Will the government ensure that Nova Scotians will have access to the medications they need?

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : Again, there are a number of ways that people can access birth control through this province. We've talked about them before. Certainly if there is a financial barrier, through the Department of Opportunities and Social Development people have access to birth control. We have the Nova Scotia Family Pharmacare Program. Some people have private insurance - all these different ways to support people who require birth control. We are actively negotiating with the federal government. We cannot rush this negotiation. We cannot get a bad deal for Nova Scotians. We've seen that in the past with other deals when they've been rushed. We need to take our time. We need to ensure that we're doing the right things, that there is economic stability moving forward when and if that money sunsets, which we expect it will.

Free access to birth control would reduce reproductive coercion

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : The Transition House Association of Nova Scotia recently released a research brief, Reproductive Coercion and Intimate Partner Violence, and I'll table it. This is a form of gender-based violence that involves controlling another person's reproductive rights. The document recommends implementing access to universal, no-cost coverage of prescription contraception. Knowing that having free access to birth control can reduce reproductive coercion in this province, why does this government refuse to provide free birth control to its citizens?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : We currently have programs that are available to people who are seeking birth control. We have our Family Pharmacare Program, people who also have private insurance. There are also some individuals who require additional support and through the Department of Opportunities and Social Development there are opportunities for people to access birth control. We know it's an important issue. We'll continue to work throughout government to best understand how to serve Nova Scotians.

SUSAN LEBLANC « » : All of those things are true but there are lots of people who are still falling through the cracks. That is why there is a massive call across the province and across the country for barrier-free, complete access to free birth control, so that the people who don't have those opportunities are able to access birth control. There's federal funding on the table right now to provide free birth control for all Nova Scotians. This is an important and simple step for us to take to help reduce the impacts of reproductive coercion in this country. We have yet to hear a good reason as to why the government has not taken this step. I'll ask again: Why won't this government work with the feds to provide Nova Scotians with free birth control to help address the epidemic of gender-based violence?

MICHELLE THOMPSON « » : We really are currently in negotiations with the federal government. The two departments are speaking about how best to serve Nova Scotians, what the negotiations may look like. It's not a straightforward negotiation. We have to make sure that it is a program that is sustainable when the money sunsets. It's great to get the money upfront, but eventually that money will go away. We need to make sure that we make the appropriate choices. We need to make sure that it's financially sustainable moving forward when the money sunsets. We continue to be in active negotiations. I'm very hopeful that we'll have more information soon.

Susan Leblanc pushes government to commit to free birth control for all in N.S.

SUSAN LEBLANC: My question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. For many Nova Scotians, the cost of birth control prevents them from accessing this basic form of health care. It’s estimated that one in three Nova Scotian workers do not have health benefits, and not all benefit plans offer equal coverage of the care. Insufficient access to birth control leads to worsened health, well-being, and socio-economic outcomes for patients, families, and communities. The minister has worked extensively as a health care provider. Does she find it acceptable that so many Nova Scotians can’t access this important medication?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON: Certainly, we’re looking at universal birth control over the last number of months. We know that there are a number of people, through Family Pharmacare, who can access birth control, providing that there is a medication component. I certainly know in the instance of IUDs, in order for those to be covered under Family Pharmacare, there does need to be a medicinal and hormonal component to that. We continue to look at ways to support Nova Scotians. We also know that through the Department of Community Services, as well, there’s free birth control available to those who meet the criteria. We are working all the time to cover things that are important to Nova Scotians, and we’ll continue to do that review.

SUSAN LEBLANC: The minister will know that there are gaps in providing contraception. Earlier this year, British Columbia became the first province to provide access to free prescription contraception.Nova Scotia needs to follow suit. It’s estimated that for every dollar spent on contraception access, there’s up to $90 in public savings. The Access Now Nova Scotia Coalition has called on government to urgently address this issue, supported by organizations like the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians, the Dalhousie Department of Pediatrics, the Dalhousie Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the North End Community Health Centre, and many others. I will table that list. Will the minister commit to ensuring that every Nova Scotian has access to no-cost contraception?

MICHELLE THOMPSON: Our Pharmacare Program is under incredible pressure, as we all know. Not only do we have advancing technologies and therapies, but we also know the costs of drugs are going up. As a department, we continue to look at what we’re best able to supply to Nova Scotians. We want to make sure we have things that are accessible to them and that are needed. There are always competing priorities, and we will continue to balance and look at those over the coming months. We will do what we can to support Nova Scotians.

Endometriosis Awareness Month - March 28, 2023 Members Statement

Mr. Speaker, as my honourable colleague has just said, March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. I rise today to call on this House to prioritize funding for reproductive health care and endometriosis care in Nova Scotia. Reproductive health care and health care specific to people with uteruses is often not taken as seriously as it should be. This is especially the case when it comes to menstruation and the pain that comes with it. In Canada, one million people - 1 in 10 women and an unknown number of transgender and gender nonconforming people - live with endometriosis. This is a gynecological condition where tissue grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis symptoms include severe menstrual pain, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Many spend years trying to get an accurate diagnosis so that they can get proper treatment. Sometimes these folks are told that this excruciating pain is normal, but it is anything but. Symptoms are managed using a combination of medical and surgical care. I call on this government to prioritize the health care for people with uteruses and ensure that we have the specialists and funding necessary to address endometriosis in our province. (Applause)

Need for Midwifery Investment

SUSAN LEBLANC: My question is for the Minister of Health and Wellness. Nova Scotians have been asking government for years to invest in more midwifery services across the province. There is still zero service in Cape Breton and the Valley. Midwives in the region have been working on establishing an education program, which is a key piece of the puzzle, and they have asked for a study on how to make it happen. FOIPOP documents from the minister’s department show the process was moving along nicely until it was squashed at the last minute from the very top decision-makers. I can table that. Can the minister explain why her government is so resistant to supporting midwives and new parents that they won’t even undertake a simple study asked for by midwives across the region?

HON. MICHELLE THOMPSON: Just to let the member know, we’re currently focusing on stabilizing our current midwifery services across the province. There are some issues around recruitment and retention. I also want to make note that we do have an unattached baby clinic. Certainly, the midwives in this province have been instrumental in supporting that. We are using midwives to the best of our scope, but currently, the focus is on stabilizing current midwifery services.

SUSAN LEBLANC: Perhaps we’ll have a chance to talk about retention in Estimates, but after this government tabled its budget last week, speaking of Estimates, our caucus heard from midwives and health advocates who were heartbroken that another budget has been tabled with no new investment in midwifery, including no new midwifery services in Cape Breton, where there was the highest rate of C-sections in low-risk pregnancies in the province between 2017 and 2020. C-sections are the most common kind of surgery, and midwives can help lower these rates and free up hospital resources, but we have to invest in them. If this government will spend whatever it takes to fix health care, why does it continue to refuse to implement the sensible and affordable suggestion to invest in primary care that will benefit pregnant people and free up other primary care providers in this system?

MICHELLE THOMPSON: Certainly, this has been a historic budget in terms of our investment in health care- More, Faster. We certainly are committed to improving primary care access, and again, we go back to the fact that we need to stabilize our current services before we spread ourselves too thin and make the program not available to anyone.