Question of the Week: Why did my Insurer cut off my drug claim reimbursement? Apparently I can’t claim any more drugs until I send my Insurer proof of registration with PharmaCare. What???

Though 12 years have passed since British Columbia’s Fair PharmaCare program was initially implemented in 2003, our office still gets calls occasionally with this question!

In short, since 2003, ALL individuals must register with Fair PharmaCare to receive a family deductible; the deductible is based on your net family income. You are covered for drugs under PharmaCare – but only after the deductible for your family has been satisfied. Once PharmaCare begins reimbursing you, any uninsured amounts not paid by PharmaCare can be claimed from your Insurer.

Why do Insurers care if you are registered?

Because if you are NOT registered, and you have a fairly low deductible, the Insurer may inadvertently be paying drug claims which rightfully should be paid by the Provincial Drug plan.

All Insurers will send you a message BEFORE you actually hit their arbitrary maximum. If you receive such a message…. don’t ignore it. If you are already registered, send a copy of your confirmation to your Insurer. If you need a copy, you can get proof of your registration confirmation from here: PharmaCare Get a Copy

But I don’t even know if I’m registered…. what do I do now?

To find out if you are registered, you can call:

• From the Lower Mainland: 604-683-7151
• From the rest of British Columbia: 1-800-663-7100.

Finally, if you know you are not registered, you definitely should get registered. Most people can do so by Registering Online Now.  Once you have your proof of registration, send it to your Insurer and any claims on hold can be released and reimbursed to you. You only need to submit the proof once. For further information on PharmaCare and BC Medical, go to the BC PharmaCare Website.