NDP raises alarms on rising health care costs for seniors

By Lethbridge Herald on September 27, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism 

The opposition NDP is bashing the provincial government over a leaked cabinet report that reveals a plan to make more Albertans pay out of pocket for prescription drugs.

According to the report, the move would cost Albertans more than $400 million per year. 

During a press conference on Thursday, NDP shadow minister of health Sarah Hoffman said the new proposed changes would have consequences for many seniors in the province. 

“It’s a plan to force many seniors to choose between following your doctor’s orders by paying for your prescription drugs, or choosing food, skyrocketing rent, or out-of-control utilities. It is unconscionable. They’ve already kicked dependents of seniors off the drug plan, meaning that if you have a younger spouse or a child who’s dependent, even a grandchild that you’re raising, and you’re paying for their drug costs, they’re not allowed to be on your drug plan.”

In 2024, the federal government passed Bill C-64, also known as the Pharmacare Act.  The act provides diabetic supplies and contraception free of charge. It is in the first phase in the program and more details will become available as agreements are made with the provinces and territories.

The cost of prescription medication for seniors in Alberta is already rising; the maximum cost will eventually rise to $35 in 2026, up from the previous limit of $25. Hoffman says it could lead to more unnecessary hospital room visits as some on fixed incomes will struggle. 

It could lead to “many seniors saying, ‘I’m just not going to take my pills every day. I’m going to take some every other day so I can scrimp and save’ and then they end up in the hospital. That costs all of us more. It means that we have longer waits when we show up to the emergency room in a true emergency because somebody else is there because they didn’t take their medication as their doctor prescribed because they couldn’t afford it.”

Opposition leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the government, saying they shouldn’t be looking to save money off the backs of those on a lower income.  

“Danielle Smith and her ministers are now going to tell us this is just an advice to cabinet memo,” said Nenshi. “We don’t know if we’re gonna implement it, but that’s actually precisely the problem. Changes of this magnitude shouldn’t be cooked up in back rooms and secret memos. They should be open. They should be transparent. We should discuss them with people. We should let Albertans discuss the costs and benefits of this kind of change. Instead, what we know is that this document has a number of steps, and it’s all about saving money. It’s not about improving services or making people better off. It’s about saving money. I like saving money, but you can’t save money on the backs of people on fixed income.”