Nova Scotia Chapter: Nova Scotia seniors’ advisory group will meet to discuss pharmacare changes

Click here to read ‘Nova Scotia seniors’ advisory group will meet to discuss pharmacare changes‘ by Marieke Walsh – Global News, February 1, 2016

The Nova Scotia government’s seniors’ advisory group will meet with administrators on Wednesday to discuss changes the province made to its seniors’ pharmacare program.

CARP Nova Scotia, a seniors advocacy group confirmed the news Monday evening. Bill VanGorder, CARP’s chair, said the nine members of the provincial seniors advisory committee meet regularly with the government but this meeting was called earlier because of concerns over the changes to seniors’ pharmacare.

In January, the government announced changes to the program, dramatically increasing premiums for higher income seniors in order to give other seniors a lower premium, or none at all.

“CARP is calling for the process to be slowed down,” VanGorder said. “We were expecting a small increase in the five to 10 per cent range, nothing like we’ve been hearing from people who are telling us that their (premiums) have doubled and tripled.”

The nine members of the advisory group are: CARP; Community Links; National Association of Federal Retirees; Federation of Senior Citizens and Pensioners of Nova Scotia; Senior and Retired Doctors of Doctors Nova Scotia; Nova Scotia Government Retired Employees Association; Regroupement des Aînées et Aînés de la Nouvelle-Écosse; Nova Scotia Retired Teachers Organization; Royal Canadian Legion, Nova Scotia.