Broken Promise # 2 - Healthcare when and where you need it

Pharmacare: BC's Provincial Drug Plan squeezes more from the sick

Pharmacare, our provincial plan for drugs, is supposed to assist seniors and those with costly
prescription drug requirements.

Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberal Government introduced the "Fair" Pharmacare plan in February 2003. The plan shifted $90 million from government to those needing the drugs.

When the plan was introduced the separate seniors plan was wiped out as well. The previous plan provided lower deductibles and covered more drugs and services.

Todate according to the BC Health Coalition 50% of expenditures under Pharmacare are for drugs for seniors. That means almost one half of senior families in BC, or 175,000 families, are now paying more for their drugs.

The "Fair" Pharmacare program introduced in 2003 by Campbell Liberals came after a previous cut in pharmacare made in 2002. Deductibles were increased for most of us, including those on MSP premium assistance. A person on premium assistance saw their deductibles climb from $600 to $800 a year and 17 different drugs were de-listed under Pharmacare that year.

This is just another example of broken promises. BC voters had no idea that we would have a 50% increase in MSP premiums and loss of coverage for physiotherapy, chiropractic care, eye examinations, podiatry, massage therapy and naturopath services.

The Campbell Liberals have not lived up to their promises. Not only have our wages gone down, our costs have gone up. If the BC Government were a private company and we its board of directors, we would fire the CEO for such performance.