Seniors' pharmacare changes in Nova Scotia to be discussed Wednesday

An organization that represents retired seniors in Nova Scotia says it plans to ask the Liberal government this week for several amendments to the proposed changes to the seniors' pharmacare program.

Bill VanGorder, the chair of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons in Nova Scotia, said he's had "more phone calls and more inquires on this topic than any other."

"Part of all of that was the terrible way it was communicated in the first place, which the premier has already admitted was inappropriately done," said VanGorder.

"That upset, worried, scared especially our older seniors right away."

• Seniors' pharmacare program and 5 things Nova Scotians should know

Last month, the provincial government announced changes to the seniors' pharmacare program that will see premiums based on income rather than the current one-price-for-all model. How much a senior citizen will pay would also depend on whether they are single or part of a couple.

Meeting this Wednesday

After a backlash, Premier Stephen McNeil said the government would reassess the proposed changes. He added the plan had "unintended consequences."

"Instead of solving the problem, we actually shifted it to another group of seniors who were just over the income threshold," McNeil told CBC News last week.

"Having that been brought to our attention, we obviously have a responsibility to make sure that we do fair by all of them."

VanGorder said members of his association met with government officials on Feb. 3 and outlined their concerns. Another meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, he said.

There are several concerns:

'Unfair'increase in premiums

"When we had heard some months ago that the government was looking at having to increase the premiums in pharmacare, they told us that the costs were going up between 4.4 and 7.4 per cent, in terms of their costs, so we expected to see increases of five to 10 per cent in premiums," he said.

An increase was expected since premiums haven't gone up in eight years, he said.

"But when people told us their premiums were doubling and tripling, in many cases, that's when it became totally unfair."

Combined couples' incomes

The government told the association it's cheaper for two to live than one, but VanGorder said that's an outdated concept.

"In this day and age when both members of a partnership have to go out and work to sustain the level of subsistence living that people need people have to work to say that two can live as cheaply as one is old fashioned and totally unfair to couples," said VanGorder.

Increase for seniors receiving GIS

Under the proposed changes, some seniors receiving the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement who are considered low income by the federal government would see an increase.

"Why would you charge them now when you didn't before?" VanGorder says.

He said provincial officials told him they didn't agree with the way the federal government determined who got the GIS but adds the provincial and federal governments need to work out an agreement between them instead of putting "seniors in the middle."

CARP's recommendations

VanGorder's group is asking for several revisions to the changes:

1. Provide a gradual premium increase per year five per cent to seven per cent over a number of years.
2. Raise income levels for those who do not have to pay a premium to $24,500 per year.
3. Do not use a different formula for premiums for seniors living as singles, as opposed to as a couple.
4. Assume anyone legitimately receiving a GIS is not paying a premium.
5. Implement a formal appeals process for seniors who feel their payment is unfair.
6. Improve communications with seniors' groups when it comes to changes to pharmacare.
7. Give CARP Nova Scotia time to analyze the policy before it's announced and implemented.