Status First Nations people in B.C. will begin health coverage under a tailored version of provincial pharmacare system on Sunday, marking the first time a province takes over health care coverage for that group.

Since 1979, First Nations people in B.C. have been covered under Canada Health香蕉视频直播檚 Non-Insured Health Benefits program, which provides coverage for prescription medications, dental and medical supplies.

Grand Chief Doug Kelly, president of the Sto:lo Tribal Council in Chilliwack, said bringing the healthcare plan under the First Nations Health Authority will allow coverage to be focused on what those in B.C. need.

香蕉视频直播淲hat we often find, is governments will often fight over who pays for what,香蕉视频直播� Kelly said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat we do with this decision to take ourselves away from the national program, is there香蕉视频直播檚 no longer a fight over who will pay for prescription drugs. Pharmacare will be the only payer.香蕉视频直播�

The new benefits plan will affect 143,000 health authority clients.

The FNHA version of Pharmacare, called 香蕉视频直播淧lan W,香蕉视频直播� will be slightly different than that of the rest of the province.

Because many First Nations people don香蕉视频直播檛 file income taxes, Kelly said, many don香蕉视频直播檛 meet the proper requirements for Pharmacare.

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香蕉视频直播淢ost Indigenous folks are impoverished, barely getting by,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪o, for us, income testing doesn香蕉视频直播檛 work. The way it香蕉视频直播檚 done for other British Columbians is by the filing of income tax returns. Many of our folks are so poor they don香蕉视频直播檛 file income tax forms.香蕉视频直播�

FNHA clients who need prescription medications will instead have to provide their status card and care card and will receive their prescription medication for free, covered by Pharmacare.

The differences behind the scenes have been a long time coming, according to Kelly, who香蕉视频直播檚 advocated for 30 years for a provincial-based plan.

In 2006, then-premier Gordon Campbell said all health services delivered by the province would be made available to all British Columbians. In 2011, the First Nations Health Authority was created, and began delivering services in 2013.

This new Pharmacare plan will be tweaked based on concerns and issues that may arise around access and implementation, Kelly said.

香蕉视频直播淭he chiefs told us if you香蕉视频直播檙e going to do this, then you do a better job,香蕉视频直播� Kelly said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not good enough to take over the work the government once did for us, you香蕉视频直播檝e got to do a better job.香蕉视频直播�

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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