Home / Health / N.W.T. Residents Await Pharmacare Negotiations with Federal Government
N.W.T. Residents Await Pharmacare Negotiations with Federal Government
30 Aug
Summary
- N.W.T. open to pharmacare deal if federal funding is sufficient
- Majority of N.W.T. population already covered by existing health programs
- Pharmacare would only apply where other options do not
As of August 30, 2025, the Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) is not anticipating the implementation of a federal pharmacare program in the near future. According to N.W.T. Health Minister Lesa Semmler, the territory has not received any updates on the status of pharmacare negotiations with the federal government.
While the N.W.T. remains open to negotiating a pharmacare deal, the territory's officials state that any such agreement would need to be accompanied by sufficient federal funding to ensure the successful implementation of the program. However, as of now, there has been no indication that the necessary funding is available.
The need for a pharmacare program in the N.W.T. is not as pressing as in other parts of the country, as the majority of the population is already covered by existing health insurance options. This includes the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, which serves the territory's Indigenous population, as well as workplace health insurance and the N.W.T.'s own extended health benefits program.
Semmler explains that pharmacare would only come into play where these other coverage options do not apply. The territory is currently in the process of reviewing the recent updates to its extended health benefits program, which faced some pushback, to determine how many new people have been brought on board.
The N.W.T. government's focus for the time being is on analyzing the impact of these recent changes to its existing health coverage, rather than actively pursuing a pharmacare agreement with the federal government.
