Health and Community Services
November 15, 2010New Marketing Campaign Launched to
Increase Awareness
of Provincial Prescription Drug Program
The Provincial Government today launched a province-wide marketing
campaign to increase awareness and encourage eligible residents with low
incomes or high prescription drug costs to apply for financial
assistance available under the Access and Assurance Plans of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program..
"Although the Access and Assurance Plans have been in place for
awhile, we know there are many eligible people throughout the province
who have not applied to the program," said the Honourable Jerome
Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services. "By launching this
campaign, we hope to not only inform residents about these plans, but to
encourage them to apply for financial assistance with their prescription
drug costs."
The Access Plan, a new program announced in Budget 2006 and enhanced
with an additional investment of $2.5 million in Budget 2010, provides
assistance to individuals and families with low incomes, where 30 to 80
per cent of their eligible drug costs are paid by the Provincial
Government through the Access Plan.
Examples of how this plan works include:
An individual with a net income of $20,000 would have 72 per
cent of his/her eligible drug costs covered through the Access
Plan;
A couple with no children and a net income of $23,000 would
have a co-payment of 29 per cent; and,
A family (including single parents) with a net income of
$33,000 would have a co-payment of 32 per cent.
|
Single Individuals |
Couples ( No Children) |
Families (With Children)
(Includes Single Parents) |
|
Income
Amount |
Government
Pays |
Client
Pays |
Income
Amount |
Government
Pays |
Client
Pays |
Income
Amount |
Government
Pays |
Client
Pays |
|
Equal to or less than $18,577 |
80.0% |
20.0% |
Equal to or less than $21,435 |
80.0% |
20.0% |
Equal to or less than $30,009 |
80.0% |
20.0% |
|
$19,000 |
77.5% |
22.5% |
$22,000 |
76.7% |
23.3% |
$31,000 |
76.1% |
23.9% |
|
$20,000 |
71.7% |
28.3% |
$23,000 |
70.9% |
29.1% |
$32,000 |
72.3% |
27.7% |
|
$21,000 |
65.9% |
34.1% |
$24,000 |
65.0% |
35.0% |
$33,000 |
68.4% |
31.6% |
|
$22,000 |
60.0% |
40.0% |
$25,000 |
59.2% |
40.8% |
$34,000 |
64.5% |
35.5% |
|
$23,000 |
54.2% |
45.8% |
$26,000 |
53.4% |
46.6% |
$35,000 |
60.6% |
39.4% |
|
$24,000 |
48.4% |
51.6% |
$27,000 |
47.6% |
52.4% |
$36,000 |
56.7% |
43.3% |
|
$25,000 |
42.5% |
57.5% |
$28,000 |
41.7% |
58.3% |
$37,000 |
52.8% |
47.2% |
|
$26,000 |
36.7% |
63.3% |
$29,000 |
35.9% |
64.1% |
$38,000 |
48.9% |
51.1% |
|
$27,000 |
30.9% |
69.1% |
$30,000 |
30.1% |
69.9% |
$39,000 |
45.0% |
55.0% |
|
$27,151 |
30.0% |
70.0% |
$30,009 |
30.0% |
70.0% |
$40,000 |
41.2% |
58.8% |
|
$27,152
or higher |
Not Qualified |
100.0% |
$30,010
or higher |
Not Qualified |
100.0% |
$41,000 |
37.3% |
62.7% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$42,000 |
33.4% |
66.6% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$42,870 |
30.0% |
70.0% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$42,871
or higher |
Not Qualified |
100.0% |
The Assurance Plan, which was announced in Budget 2007, provides
support to individuals and families with very high eligible prescription
drug costs relative to income levels. For example, a family with an
annual net income of $35,000 and annual drug costs of $6,000 requires a
maximum contribution per year of five per cent of their net income,
which is $1,750. Each time a prescription for an eligible benefit is
filled, the family would pay 29.17 per cent of the total cost of the
prescription. Due to recent improvements in this plan, more people than
ever are now eligible for assistance.
|
Annual Income (net) |
Maximum % of Income to Spend on
Eligible Drug Costs |
| $0 -
$39,999 |
5% |
| $40,000
- $74,999 |
7.5% |
| $75,000
to $149,999 |
10% |
"Affording prescription drugs can cause a significant amount of
stress and financial burden on individuals and families," said the
Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services.
"Over the last number of years, our government has made substantial
investments to improve the provincial prescription drug program to help
alleviate the strain placed on individuals who struggle to pay for
prescription medications."
The provincial campaign consists of print, radio, online and
television ads and will run for one month −
www.areyoucoverednl.ca.
Budget 2010:
The Right Investments — For Our Children and Our
Future
provides approximately $142 million for the Newfoundland and
Labrador Prescription Drug Program. This includes approximately $16.2
million for the Assurance Plan and almost $8.9 million for the Access
Plan.
For more information about the Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription
Drug Program and to obtain an application form, visit
www.gov.nl.ca/health/prescription.
- 30 -
Media contact:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-2646
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca
2010 11 15 1:30 p.m.
|
