If you are a BC resident and enrolled with the Medical Services Plan (MSP), you can register your family to receive your maximum financial assistance under Fair PharmaCare. Your family includes you, your spouse and any dependent children whose Medical Services Plan coverage is on the same contract as you or your spouse.
Your extended health coverage (EHC) through Pacific Blue Cross requires that you take advantage of other plans that are available to you, such as the Fair PharmaCare program. As a result, the EHC plan will only pay for eligible drugs up to your deductible and amounts that exceed the 70% PharmaCare co-payment. In other words, your EHC plan does not provide coverage for drug expenses that are eligible under the Fair PharmacCare program. After you reach a certain threshold of drug expenses, PBC will contact you to request proof that you have registered with the Fair PhamaCare program.
You can still register for PharmaCare. As part of the registration process, you will be asked for your family's annual net income based on your previous year's income tax returns. You will also be asked to provide authorization for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to send information from your tax return to Fair PharmaCare. You will be advised of your annual Fair PharmaCare deductible at time of registration, and will receive notice each year for the following year's annual deductible.
You can contact PharmaCare at 1-800-663-7100 (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM weekdays, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM weekends). You can also register on-line at www.gov.bc.ca.