Uzoma Asagwara speaks during question period at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, on May 6, 2020.JOHN WOODS/The Canadian Press
Manitobans will have access to free prescription birth control starting Oct. 1.
The NDP government says that’s the date it will fulfill a promise it made in last year’s election campaign.
The plan will cover methods including birth control pills and intrauterine devices and cost an estimated $11-million a year.
But it will not cover the so-called morning-after pill, a non-prescription drug that is covered in British Columbia.
The federal government has also promised to cover prescription birth control under a national pharmacare program.
Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says the province decided to move ahead on its own while working out a deal with Ottawa.
“We’re going to work with them to find the best approach moving forward, based on what happens with that [federal] legislation, but we’re going ahead with this plan because we know it’s what in the best interest of women, girls and gender-diverse folks across Manitoba,” Asagwara said Thursday.