Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 12:37:29 -0700
From: moe <moe@kootenaycuts.com>
Subject: [KCUTS] May 1 deadline: Sign up for PharmaCare now!
Government should change the registration rule, but don't count on it and
don't wait until you are sick to register. To register click on
https://pharmacare.moh.hnet.bc.ca/ or phone 1-800-387-4977.
[Thanks to David Schreck. - moe]
Millions not registered for PharmaCare
Petti Fong
April 16, 2003
Mark Van Manen, Vancouver Sun
Phil Lyons is concerned many elderly people who come to the seniors daycare
facility may not be registered to qualify for medications. [If you go to
the url below you get to see kind of a funny picture of my brother. - moe]
http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=ec0fc207-d5c7-43f0-b33e-343d2668e889
Two weeks before a May 1 deadline, nearly 1.3 million of two million
eligible B.C. households have not yet registered for the province's new
PharmaCare program.
Failure to register means they risk being assigned a $10,000 deductible
under changes announced earlier this year.
Under the new program, everyone, including seniors, will be eligible for
prescription funding based on income.
Last year, about one million B.C. households received PharmaCare benefits,
but under the new program, more lower-income families are eligible.
Health Services Minister Colin Hansen said Tuesday that about two million
B.C. households are believed eligible for benefits under the new program.
However, he said a percentage of the two million families will choose not
to register because it's unlikely they would get any benefits from
PharmaCare because either their income levels are too high or their
prescription drug costs too low. It would also depend on what kind of
extended health care benefits they receive.
Hansen said that while only 650,000 B.C. families have registered so far,
that number is higher than the province expected for the middle of April.
Any household that doesn't register via phone, fax or through the Internet
will automatically be considered to be in the highest tax bracket earning
at least $320,000 a year.
Under that category, a household has to spend $10,000 on prescription
drugs before the government kicks in any money.
"That's what scares seniors the most," said Phil Lyons, a volunteer with
the Seniors Network of B.C. "They don't understand that not registering has
consequences; they could be cut off. Many of them don't believe they should
have to register."
Lyons said the new system is complicated and overly intrusive. Many
seniors are not registering because they object to having to disclose their
net income from their 2001 tax returns, he said.
"I've heard quite a few say that they don't believe they should have to
give tax information. We tell them if you're going to use a lot of drugs,
you're not going to get on PharmaCare if you don't provide the information
and can they afford that matter of principle," Lyons said Tuesday. "They're
doing it grudgingly and finding the registration system very taxing."
Hansen said the government needs to have the family income because that's
what the benefits are based on.
Asked what will happen to people who don't know their 2001 net income
because they haven't filed income tax returns, Hansen said people should be
filing taxes regularly, even if they don't have regular income.
"Because of things like the federal GST rebate, it's advisable for
everyone to send in a tax return," he said. "This is one more reason for
them to do that. They will find there are lots of benefits, not just with
PharmaCare, but other federal tax rebate reasons."
Besides the net income figure, the government also requires social
insurance number, date of birth and care card number for registration.
Hansen said the Better Business Bureau is investigating a scam in which
people phone seniors and ask for their bank PIN to register them for the
new PharmaCare program.
The changes to the PharmaCare program, announced at the end of February,
were needed to bring balance into an unfair system, Hansen said.
"Before, you had low-income families paying high deductibles and facing an
annual ceiling of $800 with low-income and at the same time there were
other families with higher incomes getting more assistance," he said.
"No governments in Canada can afford to pay all of the drug costs so what
we're trying to do is structure our programs so those who need the
assistance get it proportional to their means."
A senior family with a net annual income of about $60,000 will pay their
full prescription drug costs until they reach their deductible level, which
is $1,200 for that income level. Pharmacare will then pay 75 per cent of
the costs until the total for the year reaches $1,800, or about three per
cent of the family's net income. After that, drug costs will be fully
covered for the rest of the year.
A younger family with a $60,000 income would have a deductible level of
$1,800 and pay a maximum of $2,400.
If people are not registered by May 1, their benefits will begin at the
time they register. For example, a person who registers on June 1 will have
their benefits payable from that day.
Terrie Hendrickson, coordinator of the B.C. Health Coalition, which works
with the 411 Seniors Centre on Dunsmuir, said most seniors will pay more.
"A lot of seniors are upset and concerned that they have to sign an
authorization form saying the government can look at their Revenue Canada
records," she said Tuesday. "Seniors feel they are being blackmailed into
registering."
Hendrickson said registering may be intrusive, but it makes sense to
register for PharmaCare just in case. "Everyone should be doing it now just
in case some kind of catastrophic illness happens. If you don't register,
you won't get any benefits if something happens with your private
insurance."
Art Jones, a senior, who just finished faxing in his and his wife's
registration Tuesday, said privacy concerns weren't enough to stop him from
making sure they were eligible for some benefits.
"We're all going to have to eat the deductible in some way or other,"
Jones said. "There's no getting around it."
© Copyright 2003 Vancouver Sun
***
Q&A: HOW ARE YOU AFFECTED?
Q: Should I register for the new PharmaCare system?
A: The ministry of health services says you should not register for
PharmaCare if you have an income of $300,000 or more and know you will have
low drug costs in the foreseeable future. Everyone else should register,
ministry official Tara Wilson said. Pacific Blue Cross, the province's
biggest health benefits carrier, is advising all its two million members to
register.
Q: What if I already receive premium assistance?
A: If you are one of 440,000 people now receiving premium assistance, you
will be automatically registered, but you still need to activate the
registration. A form should have been sent to your home that you must sign
after disclosing your net income. You are registered after you send back
your registration with your net income.
Q: How do I register?
A: There are two options to register. Call 1-800-387-4977 or visit the
government's Web site at 222.gov.bc.ca and click on PharmaCare, where you
will find a registration form.
Q: What do I need to register?
A: You will need all household 2001 tax returns and be prepared to disclose
your net income. You'll need the social insurance numbers of everyone in
your household and the birth dates of everyone being registered. You'll
also need your B.C. Care Card number.
Q: What happens if I don't have a 2001 tax return?
A: Provide an estimate and update later with the 2001 number.
Q: What if I don't want to give the provincial government my net income?
A: You must disclose that information to receive PharmaCare benefits.
Q: What if my income changes?
A: By agreeing to let the province verify your income with the Canada
Customs and Revenue Agency, your income adjustments will be automatically
made.
Q: What if I'm not sure what my 2001 income was?
A: You can find your net income on your notice of assessment or line 236 of
your tax form. You can also contact Canada Customs and Revenue Agency at
800-959-8281 or your local tax-services office.
Q: Should I apply if I have extended health coverage through my employer?
A: Yes, because your PharmaCare deductible will be determined by total
family income and PharmaCare will pay the costs of designated prescription
drugs you require above the annual deductible. Any eligible prescription
drugs that fall below this deductible will continued to be reimbursed by
your company's health plan.
Q: Can I apply after May 1?
A: You can but if you don't register by May 1, the government will assume
you are in the highest tax bracket and will assign you a $10,000
deductible. Your benefits begin on the date you register, so if you
register on June 1, any drugs you buy before that date will not be covered,
even if the cost exceeds your new deductible.
***
B.C.'s health minister urges public to register for new drug plan by May 1
DIRK MEISSNER Canadian Press
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
VICTORIA (CP) - British Columbians who fail to register for the
government's new income-based prescription drug program by the May 1
deadline won't be denied drug-cost benefits, says Health Services Minister
Colin Hansen.
The B.C. Liberal government wants members of the province's estimated two
million households to register for its new Fair PharmaCare program, but
people can sign up after the deadline without penalties, he said Wednesday.
Hansen said there is no need to panic because the government has received
just over 650,000 registration forms about two weeks to go.
"The program is unfolding as well as we had hoped," he said.
"We are ahead of schedule when it comes to getting people registered, and
come May 1 if someone's not registered and if they find out they have an
expensive prescription, they can sign up right there on the spot and become
eligible that very day."
But a spokesman for a provincial senior citizens' organization said many
elderly people aren't signing up because they don't trust the new program
and don't want to provide the government with their income information.
"We faced anger and distrust of the government's new plan," said Rudy
Lawrence, president of the Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of
B.C.
"Many told us they simply were not going to register and provide the
government with their personal income tax information."
A spokesman for B.C.'s pharmacists said there have been few complaints
about the registration process. The government stocked the province's 800
pharmacies with the new PharmaCare registration forms.
"There's been very little negative response that I've heard," said Ken
Foreman, B.C. Pharmacy Association spokesman. "For the most part it seems
to be reasonably well accepted."
Pharmacists have recently started including registration reminder forms
with prescription orders, he said.
To register, the government requires a net income figure from the most
recent income tax form, social insurance number, date of birth and a
provincial health care card number.
Hansen said the government will not use the PharmaCare registry to compile
information on B.C. citizens.
"No, not at all," he said. "There's very strict requirements around
confidentiality and privacy."
Hansen said people can register by telephone or computer.
The government also sent letters to anybody who received PharmaCare in the
past. People previously on the government's low-income medical plan were
automatically registered, he said.
"Nobody's forcing them to register, but if they would like to tap into the
financial assistance provided by government through the Fair PharmaCare
program then we have made for a very simple registration process," Hansen
said
The government introduced its Fair PharmaCare program last February.
Escalating prescription drug costs forced the government to revamp what was
the most generous drug-benefit plan in Canada, Hansen said.
The program will save about $100 million annually for the government and
reduce rising prescription drug costs for about 280,000 low-income B.C.
families and seniors, he said.
Only Quebec provides higher drug coverage than British Columbia.
The B.C. program reduces the drug plan coverage to 47 per cent, but it's
still higher than the national average of 43 per cent, he said.
Ontario and Alberta cover about 39 per cent of drug costs.
The B.C. PharmaCare budget is more than $700 million annually and costs
have risen almost 150 per cent over the last decade. They are projected to
grow by almost 500 per cent in 20 years unless there are changes, Hansen
said.
The program combines the universal and seniors' plans into one new program,
with access based on ability to pay, he said.
The lower a family's income, the more financial assistance the government
will provide, Hansen said.
Almost 85 per cent of all B.C. families will pay the same or less for their
prescription drug costs, he said.
But more than 315,000 people, including 250,000 senior citizens, will pay
more for their drug costs, Hansen said. Except for almost 65 per cent of
the seniors, the drug cost increases for seniors will be $200 or less, he
said.
¬©¬ÝCopyright 2003¬ÝThe Canadian Press
***
Blue Cross sounds PharmaCare alarm
Do not risk losing benefits, large insurer warns residents
¬Ý Petti Fong Vancouver sun
Thursday, April 17, 2003
Pacific Blue Cross, the province's largest health benefit carrier, is
urging all of its two million members to register under the government's
new PharmaCare plan, warning that people who don't register may be cut off
from receiving extended benefits.
"We are reminding people to do it," said representative Peter Jones. "When
a member of Pacific Blue Cross reaches a certain level of claim, a letter
will go out saying you have claimed X amount of dollars for your
prescription drugs and ask whether you are registered for Fair PharmaCare."
If the answer is no, the member covered by Pacific Blue Cross will be urged
to register so PharmaCare can take over coverage once the PharmaCare
deductible is reached.
If people refuse to register, Jones said, Blue Cross could refuse to pay
for drugs that would otherwise be covered by PharmaCare.
"Either the plan sponsor [such as employers or unions] or the insurance
carrier, such as Pacific Blue Cross will cut people off who aren't taking
advantage of the government's program."
Most extended health carriers will cover prescription drug costs beyond a
deductible paid by the member, which typically ranges upwards from $25.
PharmaCare kicks in after an individual has paid a certain amount, either
through an extended plan or individually, with the level set by the
person's income.
For example, a household with a PharmaCare deductible level of $1,000 and
coverage by PBC would have prescription costs paid by PharmaCare after
$1,000 has been paid by PBC.
If the household hadn't registered for PharmaCare, Pacific PBC would
continue paying beyond the $1,000 level. The end result, Jones said, is
that Blue Cross would need to raise premiums.
"It's to the benefit of individuals in B.C. to register for Fair PharmaCare
and take advantage of a government program, because if they don't, the cost
will be borne either by themselves as individuals, if they don't have a
group insurance or by their group extended plan."
The government estimates about two million households are eligible for some
form of PharmaCare benefits.
Under changes announced in February by Health Services Minister Colin
Hansen, the level of government funding of prescription drugs will depend
on income.
About 650,000 families have registered, including the 440,000 households
automatically registered because they received PharmaCare benefits last
year.
Those who don't register will automatically be considered to be in the
highest annual income tax bracket of more than $300,000 per household. That
means a deductible level of $10,000.
Jones said everyone, even those with extended health care plans, should
register.
"It's always better to have the cost spread over all the tax-paying
population than just covered by the members of your particular group plan,"
Jones said.
PBC provides extended health benefits to organizations such as the IWA, the
Burnaby Firefighters Association and private companies such as Pacific
Newspaper Group, the parent company of The Vancouver Sun.
Mike Hurley, president of the Burnaby Firefighters Association, said all
its 250 members have been told to apply.
"We had assumed PharmaCare was just for seniors, but we now understand that
anyone who has a sick family member could run out of their extended
benefits," Hurley said.
Hurley said there are concerns that premiums for extended health benefits
will rise unless members claim their maximum deductibles through PharmaCare.
"We don't want to risk any possibility of claims being denied through PBC,"
he said.
Insurance companies such as PBC are trying to prevent costs to extended
plans from increasing too much, said Debbie Beaulne, group account manager
for Dehoney and Associates, which provides benefits consulting to
employers.
"Everyone is on PharmaCare whether they realize it or not," Beaulne said.
"That's why when you go into the pharmacist, they put in your Care Card.
It's accumulated automatically and that's why most people wouldn't know
about it."
Beaulne said prescription drugs are becoming extremely expensive and it
doesn't take much to reach a deductible.
"PharmaCare is a benefit you're entitled to," she said. If it's unclaimed,
the cost may fall to extended health carriers, Beaulne said.
Dan Kelly, vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Independent
Business in Western Canada, said the cost of prescription medicines has
risen significantly.
"The cost of benefits is putting a strain on private businesses," he said.
"We're bracing ourselves for further increases."
People can register for PharmaCare through the government Web site at
http://www.gov.bc.ca or by phoning 1-800-387-4977.
To register, people need their social insurance number, birth dates of
family members, their Care Card number and the net income on their 2001 tax
return.
Health services ministry official Tara Wilson said people who want to
register but don't have their 2001 tax return can estimate their income for
that year and later confirm the number after completing their tax return.
¬©¬ÝCopyright 2003¬ÝVancouver Sun
PharmaCare registration lags
Failure to meet May 1 deadline could be costly
¬Ý Petti Fong CanWest News Service
Wednesday, April 16, 2003
VANCOUVER -- Two weeks before a May 1 deadline, nearly 1.3 million of
two-million eligible B.C. households have not yet registered for the
province's new PharmaCare program.
Failure to register means they risk being assigned a $10,000 deductible
under changes announced earlier this year.
Under the new program, everyone, including seniors, will be eligible for
prescription funding based on income.
Last year, about one million B.C. households received PharmaCare benefits,
but under the new program, more lower-income families are eligible.
Health Services Minister Colin Hansen said Tuesday that about two million
B.C. households are believed to be eligible for benefits under the new
program.
However, he said a percentage of the two million families will choose not
to register because it's unlikely they would get any benefits from
PharmaCare. Either their income levels are too high or their prescription
drug costs too low. It would also depend on what kind of extended health
care benefits they receive.
Hansen said that while only 650,000 B.C. families have registered so far,
that number is higher than the province expected for the middle of April.
Any household that doesn't register via phone, fax or through the Internet
will automatically be considered to be in the highest tax bracket earning
at least $320,000 a year.
Under that category, a household has to spend $10,000 on prescription drugs
before the government kicks in any money.
"That's what scares seniors the most," said Phil Lyons, a volunteer with
the Seniors Network of B.C.. "They don't understand that not registering
has consequences; they could be cut off. Many of them don't believe they
should have to register."
Lyons said the new system is complicated and overly intrusive. Many
seniors are not registering because they object to having to disclose their
income.
"I've heard quite a few say that they don't believe they should have to
give tax information. We tell them if you're going to use a lot of drugs,
you're not going to get on PharmaCare if you don't provide the information
and can they afford that matter of principle," Lyons said.
Hansen said the government needs to have the family income information
because that's what the benefits are based on.
Asked what will happen to people who don't know their 2001 net income
because they haven't filed income tax returns, Hansen said people should be
filing taxes regularly, even if they don't have regular income.
Besides the net income figure, the government also requires social
insurance number, date of birth and care card number for registration.
Hansen said the Better Business Bureau is investigating a scam in which
people phone seniors and ask for their bank PIN numbers in order to
register them for the new PharmaCare program.
Information on registering for PharmaCare is available on the Web at
https://pharmacare.moh.hnet.bc.ca/, or by phoning 1-800-387-4977.
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