Unintended negative consequences
The province will halt planned premium increases to the Seniors' Pharmacare program and plans a full consultation with seniors across the province.
"Seniors told us these changes were too much, too soon - our actions had unintended consequences," said Premier Stephen McNeil in a news release Thursday . "We have listened.
"We will consult with seniors from one end of the province to the other to ensure their thoughts are heard before we make changes in the future."
Premier McNeil said premiums will not go up from last year. The maximum premium payment will remain at $424 a year per person.
One change will proceed: more low income seniors will have their premiums reduced or eliminated, according to the release. "This means about 12,000 people who paid a Pharmacare premium in 2015 will not pay one in 2016. Overall, every Nova Scotian who belongs to the program will pay the same premium or less."
Seniors on a guaranteed income supplement will continue to be exempt from paying premiums and the co-payment will remain at 30 per cent per prescription to a maximum of $382 per year. Today's changes are expected to cost government about an additional $3 million a year.
"The government listened to our concerns at the February third meeting and we thank them for responding within a short time frame," said Bill Berryman, chair of the Seniors' Advisory Council, in the release. "We look forward to continuing our dialogue during the upcoming consultation process and anticipate changes which will be agreeable to seniors in Nova Scotia."
NDP Leader Maureen MacDonald says in a news release Thursday she’s pleased Stephen McNeil has finally done the right thing by placing a halt on changes to the Seniors’ Pharmacare program and agreeing to hold a full public consultation on the issue.
MacDonald says she has been calling on the Premier to take these steps since early February: http://nsndp.ca/health/op-ed-pharmacare
“As has been a trend, Stephen McNeil made significant and unfair changes to the Seniors’ Pharmacare program without warning and without consultation,” says MacDonald. “To make matters worse his Liberal government withheld crucial information, which prevented the public from knowing the full truth. I’m pleased the Premier has accepted his mistake and has done the right thing by reversing course.”
“Seniors stood their ground and said ‘we will not stand to be treated this way by the Liberal government,’” said PC Party leader Jamie Baillie. “Today, that resilience and perseverance paid off.”
Baillie says he welcomes today’s news that the changes will be temporarily stopped but says the announcement about consultation was short on detail. It does not say who will do the consultation, how it will be done, or by when.
“Seniors are rightfully skeptical of Stephen McNeil and his government after how they have been treated,” said Baillie. “We need to see a lot more detail and accountability from the McNeil Liberals before any changes to the pharmacare program are made.”
"We had put forward changes that were intended to bring more fairness and equity to the program," said Premier McNeil. "It is clear that Nova Scotians want more consultation before significant changes are introduced to this program. We will deliver."