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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-10-23, Page 3News and Views Drug plan on track after problems BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff Fewer seniors in Seaforth seem to he getting angry at their friendly local pharma- Gist these days. Shaukat Mangalji of Kcating's Pharmacy says recent changes to the Ontario government's drug benefits plan still cause- him prob- lems. but teething pains appear to be diminishing. After implementation this past July 15 there were more than a few unhappy seniors buying drugs, or deciding to leave them, at his counter. "Quite a few •were quite shocked," the Scaforth phar- macist says. The cost Of prescriptions for seniors had been horns by the provincial Ministry of Health until three months ago. when a user -fee per pre- scription (called a copay- ment) was introduced for some. with these higher for singles. with a net annual -incorrie of more than $16,018 per year and senior couples- earning ouplesearning more than $24,175 a year. • Ontario was the •last province in Canada to bring in such legislation, arguing -it could no longer afford not to. Those living in a nursing home, or receiving home care, general welfare or fami- ly benefits must all also now pay $2 per prescription, unless eligible for the Trilliwn drug plan where the deductible is based "on fami- ly- income and then $2 per prescription." according to health ministry information sheets. Those in the higher singlcs' and couples' income brackets pay "the first $100 in total prescription costs, and then up to a maximum of $6.11 on each prescription filled after that." Implementing changes has been a pain for pharmacists in effect collecting the co- payments and deductahles for the government at drug coun- ters. MUCH CONFUSION- Many ONFUSION Many seniors arc, or have been, confused about the cat- egory they find themselves Helen Johns, Huron MPP in. But there is a form you have to send in to the provin-1 cial health ministry to he .eli- gible for the lower category. This takes time. For pharmacists on the front line. drugs for free has been a hard act to fol tow. They get killed according to the government's categories. Mangalji says "wrong cate- gories,. for whatever reason was the biggest problem encountered." The turn- around time from filled -out form to the correct category on the computer was initially about three weeks, with a backlog. This in turn caused prob- lems for some seniors, a seg- ment of our population more dependent_ than most on pre- scriptions and drugs,- and per- haps least able to juggle their personal finances with unex- pected out-of-pocket pay- ments until categories are changed or rebates roll in. Categories can't he switched at the drug counter. "The only.way to get it changed is to send the form out," Mangalji says. "The backlog is now gone and the turnaround time is getting faster." Seniors heading south this winter probably won't be .singing praises okthe govern ment's new drug prescription system either. SHORTER TIME The Keating's pharmacist says -whereas bctore he could fill prescriptions in advance ton maximum of 250 days, the new system mandates a New staff sergeant in Seaforth office Staff Sgt. Don Mclnncs now commands the Scaforth office of the Ontario Provincial Police, replacing Sgt. Frank Young, with Sgt. Brad Sadler of the Exeter detachment now second in command. The contracts for Scaforth, Clinton and Exeter police services are now grouped together hccausc of an inter- nal restructuring within Ontario's police force. Staff Sgt. McInnes most recently was acting chief in Mitchell, Deputy -reeve Bill Teall reported at the Oct. 8 meeting of Scaforth Council. He is the town's representa- Hensall man dies A Hensall man died in a head -on -crash on Highway 4 •just north of London on Oct. 11. Mark Francis Lanshergcn, 26, was the sole occupant of his vehicle and died at thc scene. A 49 -year-old woman from Arkansas, who was a passenger in the other vehi- cle, died later in hospital. Three others in the vehicle wcrc hospitalized. Town hall survey CONTINUED 'from page 1 make better decisions. It is short and to the point. Please. take a few minutes and answer the questions. Then, drop it off at the Town Hall or the newspaper. Thanks for your help." Don't sit back CONTINUED from page I opposed to the closure of one of thc city's hospitals. "if we sit hack, they may think we'll accept it," he said. five on the Scaforth Police Services Board. Sgt. Sadler's name should he familiar. here in Scaforth. He was interim chief in the final months of Scaforth's municipal force, .before the town opted for OPP policing late last year. Sgt. Young is now pursuing a different career path with the Schringvillc detachment of the OPP and at Guelph. Deputy -reeve Teall also said a meeting has hcen set up with Godcrich hccausc of an ongoing dispute about financial obligations in the disbandment of thc old municipal police communica- tions system. October 16 Expositor Exposed! The Ex -Files: Spotted Mistakes: 1) Page 3 - Scaforth Ag. Society Thank You ad "of our 1995 Fall Fair" should be 1996 - Judy Lamont 2) Page 3 - Scaforth Ag. Society - "Curry & Connor Blair" should he "Carly & Connor Blair" - Ina McGrath 3) Page 1 - "Council Council" - Ethel Walker maximum of 100 days, which may require hint to mail another prescription to the customer if a "snowbird's" stay is longer. CARP, a national indepen- dent publication for the 50 - plus lifestyle, criticized another aspect of changes to Ontario's drug benefits plan when it was first implement- ed. The magazine argued per- sonal and financial informa- tion required of seniors could be misused. The health ministry agreed to changes. As- it now works, pharma- cists are connected to the health ministry almost instantaneously by modem in a drug benefit network. Mangalji says pharmacists get only limited facts via this system, only the proper cate- gory for the customer, not any extraneous information the government may have at its disposal on the individual. The -problems for seniors with the government's new program have been more logistical than philosophical, the Scaforth pharmacist feels: "The majority accept the need for- restraint," Mangalji says. "They don't mind pay- ing their fair share." LOCAL MPP AGREES Huron MPP Helen Johns, deputy Ontario health minis- ter, agrees things "have not gone particularly smoothly" in the three months since the transition: She says income levels wcrc determined with the help of Revenue Canada and then 40,000 letters were mailed to seniors thought to he in the middle ground, or grey area. Shc estimates five per cent have since been re- classified, and that turn- around time was originally closer to about eight weeks for some, but is now as fast as six days in paperwork at the ministry for many. She figures the system is now "on track". The cost of the drug bene- fits program to this province was approximately $1.3 -bil- lion and "blossoming" when the changes initiated by thc previous government were implemented this summer, she says. Johns says the new system has allowed the gov- ernment to extend drug bene- fits via co -payments "to 140,0(X) working class poor" through the Trillium plan at about the same overall cost, although exact figures haven't yet keen tallied. The Huron MPP says the government's move to -short- er prescriptions, which has so annoyed some "snowbirds" was prompted after consulta- tion with pharmacists to cut down on "substantial waste" through over -prescription and for safety. "There arc good medical reasons" for shorter prescriptions, she says, although the Health minister and Premier arc concerned, consulting about it and monk toring the situation closely. She says the government docs not want to deter seniors who wish to spend their win- ter in the States and the changes are not written in stone. "We may have to look at it again" and what other provinces arc doing in this arca, Johns says. IT'S A PARTY... WINTER ATTIRE PLEASE. Id r� osi 1iiit>R ! l;3• I s1� Open House 97. For all of you already in the winter spirit, we're hosting an Open House to showcase the exciting new 1997 Ski -Doo snowmobiles. It's Super Sellabralion'97. No money down. No interest. And no payments until January l st,1997" on any new Ski -Doo snowmobile purchase. Plus get a great deal on your trade-in and free Ski -Doo videos' lust for slopping by. So hurry to the Ski -Doo Open House today. 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