Changes previously announced by government will affect approximately 46,000 individuals
The Alberta government is significantly paring back the coverage provided under a public drug plan for seniors in just under a month, putting pressure on thousands of Albertans to find alternatives.
As reported by CBC News, the Alberta Seniors Benefit Drug Program has long allowed premium-free coverage for prescriptions and other health-related services for senior Albertans, as well as their spouses and dependents.
But on March 1, the coverage will be scaled back to include only those over age 65. The change was telegraphed among others in the 2019 Alberta budget, but the government sent out the letter as an added reminder in January.
“To ensure the government can continue to provide this program to our province's seniors and to keep Alberta's health system sustainable, the government is changing the eligibility criteria for the program,” a letter sent by Alberta Health to affected individuals said.
In an email to CBC News, Steve Buick, press secretary for Health Minister Tyler Shandro, said that the costs associated with the seniors’ drug program, Alberta’s largest, amount to $600 million annually. Cutting off dependents, including spouses and those under 65, is estimated to reduce that tab by $36.5 million a year.
“No other province covers non-seniors through a seniors' drug program,” Buick’s email said, adding that roughly 46,000 Albertans are recorded as dependents under the program.
The government’s decision has left many residents of the province in the lurch, including 63-year-old Heather Waldie from Edmonton. As reported by CBC News, her financial plan had been designed on the assumption that she could get coverage under the Alberta Seniors Drug Benefit Program through her 65-year-old husband, which is why she had elected not to enrol in her teachers’ retirement benefits program.
“My future is very uncertain because I have ongoing treatment,” she told the Calgary Eyeopener in an interview.
Waldie is being treated for Stage 4 breast cancer. While Alberta patients do not have to pay for outpatient cancer drugs, other health-related costs of her chronic illness have been covered in the past under the Alberta Seniors Benefit Drug Program; last year, she said that coverage amounted to $1,400, minus a $500 co-pay.
“I think this is completely affordable by this government, but they are choosing to cut valuable programs that preserve the health and well-being of Albertans who have built this province,” Waldie said, reiterating a sentiment she’d previously aired as a spokesperson in the protest against the change.
The provincial government has suggested Alberta Blue Cross's non-group plan as an alternative for those affected. Those who choose to go with the plan would face monthly premiums of $63.40, or $44.45 in the case of those who qualify for an income-based subsidy. To ensure no gap in coverage, affected Albertans are urged to apply for coverage under the Alberta Blue Cross Plan as soon as they can.
Waldie is still unsure what portion of her current medical costs would be covered under the suggested non-group plan.
