The general election in New Brunswick is scheduled for October 21, 2024. Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) is asking New Brunswick parties and candidates for their positions on arthritis prevention, treatment and care.
The arthritis community is a significant constituency in New Brunswick.
Arthritis affects approximately 170,000 New Brunswick voters. There are over 100 types of arthritis, and despite the misconception that it is only a disease of older adults, two-thirds of New Brunswick residents with arthritis are younger than 65. It is the leading cause of disability in New Brunswick 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 New Brunswick voters. The way people living with arthritis access and receive health care varies significantly across New Brunswick. Where you live can be more important in determining arthritis treatment than how sick or disabled you are. This particularly affects New Brunswick residents 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 arthritis prevention, treatment, and care is now after years of being at the back of the line of health care planning and delivery.
That’s why it is important for you as a New Brunswick voter to make your voice heard. To help you with your decision, Arthritis Consumer Experts is asking political parties and the candidates running for office to share their perspectives on how to meet the needs of the one in five New Brunswick residents living with arthritis.
ACE’s questionnaire asks the following questions:
- What will your government do to provide high quality, accessible, evidence-based models of care, such as team-based care, for New Brunswick residents living with arthritis?
- Will your 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 your 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 your government take steps to ensure timely, specialized care for New Brunswick residents struggling with osteoarthritis, including joint replacement surgery wait times that are within medically recommended guidelines?
- What will your government do to ensure the continuation, improvement, and expansion of virtual care for all New Brunswick residents – both patients and health care professionals – and ensure access is equitable to all?
ACE will be collecting candidate responses and posting them on ACE’s New Brunswick Election 2024 homepage as we receive them.
If you have comments, questions, or concerns about any of the answers provided, please plan to attend a public forum or debate to hear from the candidates.
On October 21, 2024, make your voice count: #Vote4Arthritis. For more information on how to vote, please visit Elections New Brunswick to find out your options, including voting on election day, on advance polling day(s), at the returning office, and by mail.