Employer provided drug benefits are critical to the health of millions of Canadians contributing over $10 billion in 2014 according to the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. Private benefit plans have helped offset the cost of public programs and serve other employer purposes, such as keeping employees and their dependents well and at work. Increasing business taxes for health and dental benefits will only serve to reduce employers' ability to continue coverage due escalating drug cost from expensive specialty drugs such as biologics. The insurance industry is unlikely to continue to provide risk protection for annually recurrent high cost drugs as incidence and expense increase with new medications. Provincial drug plans are also at a tipping point as cost thresholds are exceeded. These very same plans will however, become the fallback as more employer plan cost surpass their own thresholds with drug benefits either restricted or eliminated. 

Be careful what you ask!