B.C. eliminates/reduces prescription deductibles

[oneh2obabe]

Now it won't be a choice of getting a prescription filled or putting food on the table for some.

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B.C. eliminates prescription deductibles for families with incomes under $30,000.

No more co-payments for people over 79, reduced for households earning less than $45,000.

British Columbia has announced plans to eliminate or reduce prescription-drug deductibles for low-income earners.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says single people and families with a net household income under $45,000 will benefit from changes to the Fair PharmaCare plan starting Jan. 1, 2019.

Families earning between $15,000 and $30,000 will no longer pay any deductibles for medication.

"Many, many British Columbians will benefit from these changes," said Dix.

He says people with a net annual income of $15,000 have paid deductibles of $300, and those earnings $30,000 have had to shell out $900 a year.

"Fundamentally, it's a change that makes our health policy more progressive."

He says the cost means people have sometimes not filled prescriptions in order to pay for other essentials such as groceries.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-c ... -1.4528807