Final answer:
Patients are responsible for the $6.11 co-pay for prescriptions covered under the ODB program. Under public healthcare systems like the ODB and Medicare, patients often contribute to the cost of their prescriptions through co-payments.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program, it is the patients who are responsible for paying up to a $6.11 co-pay for prescriptions covered under the program. The ODB helps eligible individuals, including seniors and those on social assistance, with the cost of their prescription medications. Patients pay a portion of the prescription cost as a co-pay, with the government funding the remaining amount.
Considering the context of the ODB, it operates differently from the Medicare system in the United States, which was expanded in 2003 to help the elderly pay for prescription drugs. The Medicare prescription drug benefit represented a significant public expenditure, with the federal government bearing the majority of the costs. Similarly, patients under Medicare Part B contribute through premiums, deductibles, and co-payments, while the government funds about three-fourths of the overall costs, emphasizing that individual co-payments are a common aspect of public healthcare systems.