There are seven health care benefit plans currently funded by the federal government, which offer coverage for prescription medications. Two of the plans (the Public Service Health Care Plan and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Health Services Plan) are standard employer-sponsored supplemental health care plans, which happen to be funded by the federal government. The others have been created in order to provide services to address the government’s obligation to help provide for the health care needs of certain groups of people who rely on federal support. All the federal plans cover relevant beneficiaries for a range of health care services, including medications. There are no patient co-payments of any kind associated with benefits provided by these plans.
In order to determine if you are eligible to receive benefits under these plans, please answer the following:
Are you:
- a federal public servant or a dependent of one,
- a retiree or a dependent of one;
- a federal politician or staff member or a dependent of one;
- an employee of a federal agency or crown corporation or a dependent of one;
- a federal judge or a dependent of one;
- a Canadian Forces or RCMP retiree or a dependent of one;
- or a dependent of an active Canadian Forces member?
If yes, you are likely eligible for the medication benefits provided through the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP). PSHCP members are subject to a $60 annual deductible for all services ($100 for families). In addition, they are responsible for paying 20% of the cost of prescriptions. After the total amount of co-payments reaches $3,000 during a given year, all additional eligible medications are fully covered. With only minor exceptions, all medications prescribed by a recognized health care provider and dispensed by a pharmacist would be covered under the program. For more information about coverage, please visit their website.
