Ontario’s OHIP+ program, introduced in 2018 to provide free prescription medications for people under 25, was designed to improve access to care. Recent research led by York University associate professor Antony Chum alongside postdoctoral researchers Peiya Cao and Yihong Bai, as well as PhD student Kristine Ienciu suggests the policy had an additional benefit: it helped prevent some youth mental health crises. Because the policy created a before-and-after scenario, researchers treated it as a “natural experiment” to study its impact. Chum and his team analyzed changes in outcomes following the introduction of free drug coverage. This research is also showcased in YFile.
