Abstract
The Nova Scotia government plans to implement a new pharmacare program on March 1, 2008, a drug plan that Premier Rodney MacDonald says “will put prescription coverage within everyone's reach.”
The Premier and Health Minister Chris d'Entremont unveiled details about the Family Pharmacare Program on November 26, 2007. “For many Nova Scotians, being healthy means relying on prescription drugs that are often costly. This program will help them afford the prescriptions they need to manage disease and avoid illness,” the Health Minister said in a news release.
The program will be open to all residents with a valid Nova Scotia health card, but it is designed to provide the greatest benefit to people with lower incomes, those who don't have other prescription drug coverage, and people who have high drug costs not covered by private insurance.
There will be no premiums or fees to enroll. Patients pay 20% of the cost of each prescription up to a maximum per year (dependent on income) and there is an annual family deductible, which is also related to income and the size of the family.