Affordable Healthcare Reform Act
Nova Scotia's Bill 1 (Affordable Healthcare Reform Act) is the Houston PC government's flagship 2024 healthcare-affordability statute creating the Action for Health Reform Implementation framework. Sets binding targets for the family-doctor recruitment program (3,000 net new family physicians for Nova Scotia by 2030, currently approximately 100,000 Nova Scotians on the Need a Family Practice Registry as of January 2025 per Nova Scotia Health), creates the new NS Healthcare Affordability Office, expands the NS Pharmacare formulary, and signs the federal Pharmacare bilateral on contraceptives and diabetes medications.
Status
Quick learn
Restructures Nova Scotia's healthcare system: speeds up primary-care attachment for unattached patients, opens up internationally-trained-doctor licensing, expands pharmacist scope of practice, and updates funding formulas between the province and the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Issues this bill touches
- Healthcare
Houston government's main second-term healthcare reform. Targets unattached-patient lists and IMG licensing.
Legislative history
- Introduced
Tabled in the originating chamber by the sponsor.
View source - Royal assent
Approved by both chambers and granted royal assent; now law.
View source
Sponsored by
Tim HoustonNS PCOfficial source
Read full text on Parliament of Canada