NB provincial election 2024 — for voters « JointHealth™

Arthritis affects one in five voters in Saskatchewan. Two-thirds are under the age of 65. It is a leading cause of disability in Saskatchewan and a significant economic burden related to direct health care costs and indirect costs to the economy related to lost employment, sick leave, and absenteeism.

Health care delivery is one of the most important issues for Saskatchewan voters leading up to the October 28, 2024 provincial election. The way people living with arthritis access and receive health care varies significantly across the province. Where you live can be more important in determining arthritis treatment than how sick or disabled you are. A major barrier is access to care, including the wait times for people with inflammatory arthritis for a first rheumatologist visit, particularly in rural areas of Saskatchewan. This particularly affects people living with inflammatory arthritis – like rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis or lupus – who depend on getting a timely and accurate diagnosis, fast access to rheumatologists, and appropriate public reimbursement for needed disease-modifying medications.

The time to address arthritis prevention, treatment, and care is now after years of being at the back of the line of health care planning and delivery in Saskatchewan. Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) is asking the candidates running in the Saskatchewan election what they will do, if elected, to improve the timely access to suitable arthritis treatment and care.

Any responses received by ACE will be archived and posted as they arrive.

ACE survey

ACE letter sent to each candidate included:

Individual Candidate Responses
This section will be updated as we receive responses from individual candidates.

Questions voiced by Saskatchewan people with arthritis

What will the government do to provide high quality, accessible, evidence-based models of care, such as team-based care, for Saskatchewan residents living with arthritis?
Will the government commit to reinvesting biosimilars savings to increase accessibility to new medicines and expand coverage for existing medicines for people living with inflammatory arthritis?
Will the government introduce culturally appropriate, patient-centered policies to help Indigenous Peoples navigate the healthcare system and receive coordinated care within their community to manage their arthritis?
Will the government take steps to ensure timely, specialized care for Saskatchewan residents struggling with osteoarthritis, including joint replacement surgery wait times that are within medically recommended guidelines?
What will the government do to ensure the continuation, improvement, and expansion of virtual care for Saskatchewan residents – both patients and health care professionals – and ensure access is equitable to all?

Any questions received by ACE will be posted anonymously.

Ways to vote
To make voting easier for all voters, Elections Saskatchewan has provided several options, including voting on election week, by mail, by homebound voting, or voting in a recognized facility.