Provincial Government Invests More in Pharmacare
The Nova Scotia government is investing an additional $12 million in the Seniors Pharmacare program in 2004-05.
"The infusion of an additional $12 million in Seniors Pharmacare will allow Nova Scotia to continue to have the most comprehensive Pharmacare program in Atlantic Canada," said Health Minister Angus MacIsaac.
As of April 1 more low-income seniors will also be eligible for a full exemption from Pharmacare premiums. The income level for total exemption will increase by $1,000 on April 1, enabling single seniors with incomes of $18,000 a year and under, and married seniors with combined incomes of $21,000 a year and under, to qualify for a full premium exemption.
It is estimated that the changes will enable another 750 seniors to be exempt from the premium, bringing the total number of exemptions to 47,600.
A total of 94,350 seniors are registered in the Pharmacare program. Thousands of low-income seniors and those receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) are exempt from paying the premiums or pay a reduced amount. The full premium is paid by 38,500 program members.
The Pharmacare program for seniors is cost-shared by the Department of Health and seniors, with government paying 74 per cent of costs and program members paying 26 per cent. The total cost to operate the program in 2004-05 is estimated at $146 million.
Seniors who do pay a premium will see an increase in those premiums in the coming year, the first in two years. As of April 1, seniors participating in the program will pay a premium of $32.50 each month or $390 for the year, up from $336.
"If the federal government was providing an adequate level of health-care funding, there would be more support for this and many other programs," said Mr. MacIsaac.
Co-payments of 33 per cent, to a maximum of $30 per prescription, remain the same and the total cost of co-payments is still capped at $350 a year. Most drug programs for seniors in Atlantic Canada do not have an annual maximum on prescription co-payment. Nova Scotia was also the first Atlantic province to provide Pharmacare coverage for three Alzheimer's drugs -- Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl.
Increasing the number of low-income seniors who are exempt from paying premiums is a recommendation of a group of seniors' organizations. The Group of IX, an organization that represents 120,000 seniors in Nova Scotia, had made recommendations to the minister of Health as part of the department's consultation on Pharmacare program changes.
"I would like to thank the Group of IX for their suggestions on how to improve the Pharmacare program and keep it viable," said the minister.
The Department of Health also agreed to limit the late-entry penalty to five years for seniors who do not join the Pharmacare program when they become eligible at age 65. Previously, seniors who joined the program late had to pay higher premiums for as long as they were in the program.
"We are pleased to have the opportunity to advise the minister and that he acted on so many of our recommendations," said Phil Hughes, chair of the Group of IX.
An information package regarding the Pharmacare program changes will be mailed to seniors on March 8. The deadline for the first monthly payment for Pharmacare premiums has been extended from April 1 to April 15.