Darren’s story appeared in the final report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of Pharmacare, A Prescription for Canada: Achieving Pharmacare for All

I’m a sustainable independent fisherman who works the Bay of Fundy. I work hard to provide for my family, doing my part to feed the population and fighting to save an unparalleled fragile natural ecosystem.

Taking care of myself? Not such a priority.

I’m happy that my kids are taken care of by my ex-wife’s coverage through work. But as an independent businessman in a tough resource-based industry, there simply aren’t any group insurance options available that I know of.

Sure, I could try to get a private individual plan from one of the insurance companies, but I’m constantly re-investing everything back into my business just to survive. From what I can tell, insurance for someone my age and in my industry is financially out of reach. That’s not even taking into consideration my health. And the public program available from the province is a joke, my income—limited as it is and fraught with uncertainty—is too much to be meaningfully eligible.

I guess for me it comes down to what I don’t know, won’t hurt me. I’m a pragmatist—though some may call me foolhardy. But what’s the point of seeing a doctor if there’s not enough left for any prescriptions?