Currently, the proportion of uninsured Canadians (individuals not eligible for public prescription drug insurance and not enrolled in a private insurance plan) in Canada is 5.2 per cent. However, this number will drop to an estimated 1.8 per cent on January 1, 2018, with the introduction of the expanded Ontario Health Insurance Plan. What is more, over 4 million Canadians are not enrolled for either public or private coverage, despite being eligible.
Understanding the Gap: A Pan Canadian Analysis of Prescription Drug Coverage describes the design of public programs in each province (including out-of-pocket spending). This out-of-pocket spending varies widely and for different reasons depending on the specific plan design features in each province. The comprehensive analysis in the report also reveals that most Canadians have access to drug insurance through private or public plans, or even both.