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Statement by
The Honourable Tom Osborne
Minister of Health and Community Services
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House today to inform the residents of our
province that as of today, applications are being accepted for the new
Low Income Drug Program, which will be officially launched on January
31, 2007.
Mr. Speaker, as part of our Poverty Reduction Strategy, our Government
announced in Budget 2006 that we would be expanding the Newfoundland and
Labrador Prescription Drug Program to include an additional 97,000
individuals. We are investing $32 million annually to provide drug
coverage on a co-pay basis to residents who are in need of financial
assistance in paying for their prescription drugs.
The new program is designed to help those with low incomes. It includes
families with children with annual net household incomes up to $30,000;
couples earning up to $21,000; and, singles earning up to $19,000 a year
who are not currently covered by the Newfoundland and Labrador
Prescription Drug Program.
Mr. Speaker, applications and information sheets are being mailed to all
households during the month of December to ensure that everyone who may
be eligible applies. Additionally, the forms are now available on our
website at www.gov.nl.ca/health
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to announce that the new office for the
Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program is now open in
Stephenville to accept applications and respond to inquiries.
Our Government announced the creation of this new office to accommodate
the increased demand for service with the new program. And, in keeping
with our commitment to provide economic opportunities in rural
Newfoundland and Labrador, we have created 15 new jobs through this new
office in Stephenville, providing meaningful employment in a rural
region of our province.
Mr. Speaker, we are accepting applications now so that we can process as
many applications as possible by the date of the program launch. It is
expected that cards will be issued in the latter part of January for
those deemed eligible, however, we ask for the public�s patience as we
process the large volume of forms.
Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that of the main determinants of health is
economic status. Through this new program, it is our intention to
improve health outcomes for the people of our province through improved
access to prescription drug coverage.
Thank you Mr. Speaker
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