Fair PharmaCare
About PharmaCare
The British Columbia provincial government has recently announced changes to the PharmaCare Plan to implement a deductible based on family income rather than the current $1000 deductible.
Many people do not realize that PharmaCare IS for everyone and should they suffer a serious illness in their future, they could have PharmaCare assisting them with their drug costs.
With the implementation of Fair PharmaCare, all BC residents must now APPLY to have PharmaCare coverage and the deductible will be based on family income. Failure to apply will mean that PharmaCare will apply a $10,000 deductible and not pay any portion until $10,000 of drug expenses are met.
Everyone (not just low-income people and seniors) should be registering for the new PharmaCare plan. The deadline to register was May 1, 2003, however, if you haven’t already registered, you can still register after this date and your family’s annual deductible will be adjusted automatically to a level that is based on your family’s net income. If you don’t register, your PharmaCare deductible will be automatically set at $10,000. This means that if you were to find yourself in a situation requiring very high drug costs, you (or your Extended Health plan) will be responsible for the first $10,000.
As this change will have an impact on private health plans, insurance companies have advised that they will cease paying drug benefits at a given threshold, typically between $700 and $1000, unless proof of registration is received – so it is important that everyone registers for PharmaCare.
Registering for PharmaCare
Step 1: Register for PharmaCare Benefits with the Government of BC
To register for PharmaCare benefits, you may:
- Call 604-683-7151 from Vancouver and toll-free 1-800-663-7100 from the rest of B.C. and register over the phone;
- Visit the Government of BC web site to register online; or
- Download the Fair PharmaCare Registration Form and register by mail.
Step 2: Provide D.A. Townley with your Registration Number
It is not enough to just register with the Government of BC. To ensure no interruption of payment of your drug claims, D.A. Townley must also have your BC PharmaCare registration number on file.
Please mail, fax, call or email our office with the following information:
- Name,
- SIN/ID Number,
- Group Benefit Plan you belong to,
- Group Policy Number, and
- BC PharmaCare Registration Number
D.A. Townley
4250 Canada Way
Burnaby, BC V5G 4W6
Telephone: (604) 299-7482
Fax: (604) 299-8136
askus@datownley.com
