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Annie’s Mailbox .. ......17
Bridge..........
Business ........ .. .22-24
City, B.C......... .. .3,5,13
Classified ....... .. .18-21
Comics ......... ......16
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Crossword ......
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World........... .. .14,15
PRESCRIPTION RATES
Here’s a closer look at how the plan works for seniors and non-seniors alike:
■ Seniors living on $33,000 or less do not pay a deductible and 75 per cent of their prescription drug costs are covered by the plan, with the annual maximum ranging from $25 to $400 depending on their income.
■ For seniors living on between $33,000.01 and $50,000, the deductible ranges from $350 to $500 a year, depending on their income level with 75 per cent coverage once they reach the deductible. The annual maximum ranges from $700 to
$1000 depending on income level.
■ Non-seniors living on $15,000 or less do not pay a deductible and 70 per cent of their prescription drug costs are covered by the plan. The annual maximum ranges from $25 to $300, depending on income level.
■ For non-seniors earning between $15,000.01 and $50,000, the deductible ranges from $300 to $1,500, with 75 per cent coverage once they reach the deductible. The annual maximum ranges from $450 to $2,000, depending on income level.
by MARK NIELSEN Citizen staff
The numbers behind a local seniors group’s claim of changes to Pharma-Care driving the elderly deeper into poverty “are so off-base it’s not even funny,” says Prince George North MLA Pat Bell.
Contrary to a press release issued by Senior’s Voice, a subcommittee of the Prince George Active Voice Coalition, Bell said seniors do not have to pay a deductible if they earn more than $15,000 a year.
Rather the limit is $33,000 a year, and he said the average senior living on that amount or less actually pays less for prescription drugs than they did under the old plan.
“The notion that they’re prescribing, that seniors earning more than $15,000 are paying more, is just not true,” he said Monday.
Senior’s Voice’s claims are politically motivated, Bell added.
“They’re just not accurate and they’re just out scaring people, is
what they’re trying to do in my view.” Bell said it appears Senior’s Voice is mixing apples and oranges by applying the criteria for non-seniors to seniors.
As Bell stated, and according to information from the Ministry of Health Services, non-seniors earning less than $15,000 per year do not have to pay a deductible but the cut-
off point for seniors is actually $33,000.
As well, it’s based on net income, after such items as the age deduction are subtracted from the total, ministry media relations officer Tara Wilson stressed.
She also said about half the seniors on PharmaCare are paying about the same or less for their prescription drug costs per year under the new system.
Sixty-three per cent of the 450,000 seniors in B.C. living on more than $33,000 will pay about $200 more per year.
“So it’s not a huge increase,” she said.
And to protect those with very high drug costs, Wilson said once they reach the annual maximum, the government covers 100 per cent of their prescription drug costs.
Senior’s Voice spokesperson Lynne Gamer could not be reached for comment Monday.
— See related story on page 3
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2003
PharmaCare claims ‘off-base’: MLA
80 CENTS (HOME DELIVERED: 54 CENTS A DAY)
FISH RELEASE —
Above, fish culturist Geoff Giesbrecht from the Clearwater hatchery releases 10,000 yearling rainbow trout into West Lake Monday. Other lakes in the area will be stocked this week. At left, the yearlings could be grabbed by the handful.
Citizen photos by Dave Milne
Don’t expect private surgeries in area: NHA
by BERNICE TRICK Citizen staff
Since there are no private health clinics in Prince George, Premier Gordon Campbell’s idea to contract out surgeries won’t be happening here for
awhile.
But Harry Gaims, chair of the Northern Health Authority (NHA) says he’s “not adverse to doing that.”
He said an advantage to using private clinics for surgeries is to reduce waiting lists.
The NHA hopes to reduce waiting lists in its own way.
“We’ve budgeted to add more operating room time to bring down the lists,” Gaims said.
Campbell said last week the “real advantage (to using private clinics) is more cost-effective delivery of healthcare services to patients, which will be funded publicly.”
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has taken the first step on the matter, with plans to ask for bids on day surgeries that could be performed by private clinics operating in unused hospital space or off-site private facilities.
Among procedures being considered are tonsillectomies, mastectomies, knee arthroscopies, tendon releases, pacemaker insertions and toe amputations.
Gaims said the problem would be to know if it really is a saving.
He said it’s kind of like having private auto insurance where the cost is lower, but only the best drivers are accepted.
“Then ICBC is left with the poorer drivers and the rates go up.”
In the case of health-care surgeries, “we’d be farming out the cheapest cases and hospitals would be left with the more difficult cases.”
Liberal MLA Pat Bell (Prince George North) said, “I think there is merit to doing whatever you can to deliver more services to patients in an efficient manner and shorten wait lists and improve the health-care system within the context of a public system where the public funds the health-care procedures.
“In terms of privatization, are we interested in a private user-pay type thing? No, but if we could be more efficient with the health-care dollars that we have, shorten the wait lists and provide care to patients then that is something worth pursuing.”
Bell said the idea of using private clinics is not new.
“This is something that has been going on in B.C. for quite some time, and was certainly supported by the previous government and we think there is an appropriate mechanism for that.
“You have to be careful and cautious, but this is about delivering the best services you can to patients and that’s the most important part of the equation.”
Terri Hendrickson, co-ordinator of the advocacy group, B.C. Health Coalition, said the coalition is not convinced health authorities can contract out procedures without violating the Canada Health Act. It plans to file a complaint with Health Canada.
Hoar family
by KAREN KWAN Citizen staff
As the first anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance approaches, Nicole Hoar’s parents plan to return to the city where she was last seen.
Jack and Barb Hoar of Red Deer, Alta., will be in Prince George Thursday to announce a change in the $25,000 reward offered by Jack’s employer, the Hudson’s Bay Co. “It’s not getting smaller,” Jack Hoar said, but declined to elaborate. The press conference is being held at the Prince George RCMP detachment.
Hoar said the past 12 months have been difficult for his family, which also includes daughter Michelle and son John. “It’s been a very, very tough year,” he said.
returning to P.G. for announcement
The Hoars have been in regular contact with RCMP over the past year to get updates on the police investigation, he said.
Since Hoar, 25, vanished last June 21 while hitchhiking along Highway 16, RCMP have received more than 1,400 tips on her disappearance, but still have no solid clues. Police have said they’re treating it as a homicide investigation, although there’s no physical evidence that she was killed.
At one point, as tips came flooding in, up to 11 investigators were assigned to the case, but the probe is now headed by one officer, said Const. Mike Caira.
“They needed a lot of members to work on tips that were coming in. Now they’ve done enough
work where the one remaining officer can handle the rest,” he said. Police have checked out most of the tips, he said, and fewer than 100 remain under investigation.
About 400 tips related to a mysterious light-orange car that was seen picking up a female hitchhiker around the same time and at the same spot Hoar was last seen. m