Alberta NDP demand answers as over 40,000 Albertans lost provincial drug coverage

Alberta’s new democrats point at a new report and say over 40,000 Albertans have lost provincial drug coverage due to a decision made in 2019.

The Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan Statistical Supplement shows that 40,126 Albertans lost prescription drug coverage when the UCP government made the decision to remove dependents from the Alberta Seniors Drug Benefit.

“This UCP decision primarily takes drug coverage away from women and dependent grandchildren,” said Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley.

“The UCP signed off on tens of millions of dollars for the war room and for the Allan inquiry and then agreed to kick 40,126 Albertans off their drug coverage plan. That’s why Albertans simply can’t trust the UCP.”

Notley says the NDP wouldn’t have made a decision like this.

The changes came into effect in March 2020 and were expected to have saved around $35 Million.

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Okotoks resident and retired firefighter Gord Colwell joined the NDP at a press conference Tuesday, where he explained that his wife was kicked off his drug coverage in 2020 and his family had to pay more than $200 per month for private coverage for two years.

“This became quite stressful for us because we were having to scramble to find her coverage on rather short notice for her Blue Cross coverage, prescription drugs, and so on,” he said.

“After considerable research and phone calls, we were able to find a private plan to bridge the seven months of coverage that Mary-Anne needed at a cost of about $200 a month until she turned 65 and could access the Alberta Senior’s Blue Cross plan.”

He says this policy was never mentioned during the UCP campaign.

“It seemed to us this was merely a cost-cutting measure at the expense of Albertans. In our opinion this was a poor decision that impacted families, added stress and costs to their lives,” he said.

“We were told that the government was changing this to address allegations of fraud or abuse in the system, and this was done to make it fair and bring Alberta in line with the policies of other provinces, but I’m absolutely sure we weren’t the only seniors who were impacted by these changes and that probably thousands of Alberta seniors were impacted by what we think was a rather poor and hateful decision.”

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Colwell says he attempted to contact Premier Jason Kenney and his MLA to discuss concerns with the changes, but says he never received a response.

During question period on Tuesday, NDP Seniors Critic Lori Sigurdson questioned Health Minister Jason Copping over the impact.

“This stems from a change that we made two-years ago, Mr. Speaker, and the reason for the change was to be able to manage costs. So, we can not only manage the cost but re-invest into our drug care plan. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you we are spending more on our drug care plan than ever. Over two billion dollars this year, more than last year and more than the previous government as well,” Copping responded.

“Mr. Speaker, I’d like to be clear for Albertans that the senior’s drug plan is that it’s a plan for seniors. The change we made was that dependants who are not seniors would no longer be in the plan, however they could actually apply for Blue Cross. Mr. Speaker, this change brought us in alignment with every single province across the country and we have one of the most generous benefits for our seniors. Mr. Speaker, we continue to invest in our healthcare program and we’re going to deliver not only for seniors but for all Albertans.”