Nova Scotia shelves plan to increase pharmacare premiums for seniors

By Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government abruptly shelved plans to increase drug plan premiums for seniors Thursday, bowing to intense pressure from advocacy groups and admitting to a string of communication snafus.

Premier Stephen McNeil said the changes came too quickly for seniors, were poorly communicated and burdened some with heavier payments.

“We were correcting the problem for low-income seniors and we actually shifted the problem to middle-income seniors,” he said. “That was an unintended consequence to our decision. We didn’t anticipate that happening.”

The changes to seniors pharmacare were introduced last month, but the government statement that announced the new measures failed to clearly spell out the impact on premiums.

The statement focused on the fact that 12,000 low-income seniors who were paying premiums would become exempt under the new system. As well, a letter sent to seniors outlining the changes didn’t explain them accurately.

The Nova Scotia Health Coalition later complained to the province’s Ombudsman’s office over the Health Department’s poor communication, saying the department’s messages were incoherent.

As well, seniors groups complained that couples and individual seniors were being treated differently, and there was outrage over the government’s plan to raise the maximum premium from $424 to $1,200.

Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie said the “dishonest and unfair changes” were the result of a lack of accountability and he called for the resignation of Health Minister Leo Glavine.

“The government tried to tell seniors they needed to pay more to make the program sustainable — that wasn’t true,” he said. “The government tried to take advantage of them and they learned to their own peril that you just can’t do that.”

NDP Leader Maureen MacDonald said McNeil is paying the price for introducing premium increases without warning and without consultation.

“This has been a huge deception, there was never any plan to do realistic consultation and they kind of conned the seniors’ groups by not providing them with proper information,” she said.

Bill Berryman, chairman of the Seniors’ Advisory Council, said the government listened to the group’s concerns and responded quickly.

“We look forward to continuing our dialogue during the upcoming consultation process and anticipate changes which will be agreeable to seniors in Nova Scotia,” he said in the statement.

The premier confirmed Thursday premiums will be frozen and the maximum payment will remain at $424 a year per person. That means every Nova Scotian who belongs to the program will pay the same premium or less.

Seniors on a guaranteed income supplement will continue to be exempt from paying premiums and the co-payment will remain at 30 per cent per prescription to a maximum of $382 per year.

As well, McNeil said the province would move ahead with its plan to eliminate premiums for about 12,000 low-income seniors while reducing premiums for some others, measures that will cost the province about $3 million annually.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today