acare cuts

Seniors upset with drop in prescription cost coverage

' WHILE NORTH Shore seniors are dismayed
by the government's changes to Pharmacare,
- North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MLA David
‘Schreck is describing himself as “delighted.”

-By Kate Zimmerman
News Reporter

“This is the biggest personal achievernent so far for
me in yovernment,” Schreck said Friday.
| Effective April 1, Pharmacare will cover only the
* cost of lower-cost drugs when alternatives exist.
~The deductible for the family plan (also known as
) ‘Plan E) will jump from $500 to $600, while reimburse-
/ ment for drug costs after the deductible will dip to 70%
*: of eligible costs from 805%.
Seniors will be forced to pay 100% of pharmacy
dispensing fees instead of the current 75%, and the
maximum amount of dispensing fees paid has been

raised from $125 to $200 a ve

Schreck claimed the chines were a huge improve-
ment over the recommendations made in two reports
last year. He and a few colleagues helped work on the
new program,

“Seniors wort suffer” he predicted.

Schreck said the rise for consumers in dispensing
fees from 75% to 1006 might sound dramatic, but
really only amounted to about $1.50 per prescription.

And, he said, “They can shop around for the best
price.”

But the president of the
Wasi’ l sO sure.

“t's the increase in the cost of prescribing the drugs
that would affect seniors most,” suid Tom Siiva.

“Certainly we are disappointed with the move and
I'm sure there were other ways of managing the needs
of covering the costs of prescriptions other than from
seniors, who have the lowest income aad are in the
greatest need.”

Silver Harbour Society

_Mayor blasts homeowner grant

‘THE ANNOUNCEMENT that
‘the B.C, government's full

homeowner grant will now:

“apply to houses worth up to
“$450,000 (from the previous

$400,000) has disappointed
*residents of Canada’s most

valuable district.

“It’s still fundamentally wrong,”
éesaid West Vancouver Mayor Mark
= Sager.'“The grant was intended to

port of. B85" “of. the respondents
vith: almost two-thirds: prefering
‘double-deck option.:

: ‘Only 136 [| were in » Favor ofa new:

But 45% tavored a tunnel
“with the Brockton alignment get-
“ting thé most support. Many tun: -
nel ‘Supporters expressed their
‘desire.to maintain the existing
-bridge: for cyclists and pedestri-°

ns or. other traffic. Most wanted
six. Janes of general traffic or
Fmore; some plus transit. See page

tg

47 fora News took at the i issues.

be a universal program, bat it
doesn’t reflect the fact that the
value of the land has no bearing on
the ability to pay taxes.

“It stil] doesn't help those who
are in the greatest need.”

“There should be some formula
that includes ability to pay,” said
Joe Scarfo, president of the British
Properties Area Homeowners’
Association. “The general feeling is
that it has very little impact on
these properties because gencrally
the property appraisals are well
over $450.600, although the house
alone is worth far less.”

Scarfo said the grants should

West Vancouver #
Vancouver iy
Other |

§ times or less

ae
a mim
at at
Gi ao

11-15 times

Ga More than 15 times

either be universal or dropped
entirely,

Margaret Waller, assistant direc-
tor of finance for West Vancouver
District, said she estimated that
400 to 500 more houses in the area
would be eligible fer che grant than
were up for it last year.

“This year the average assess-
ment in West Vancouver went up
74% but the threshold level for the
homeowners grant went up 11%."
she said.

“It's unusual news for West
Vancouver,” Waller continued.
“We usually get the other end of
the stick.”

41.2%
29.8%

21.6%

NEWS: photo Cindy Goodman

NICOLE AND Megan Innes play with a two-week old baby
goat that visited Capilano Mali last Monday, March 21, as
part of a Mark Seven Ranch petting zee. Farm animals
from the ranch made a special appearance during spring
break, giving children a chance to learn more about them

first-hand.

1OnsS

Renovate bridge (3 or4 lanes
New. bridge 4 or 5 lanes).

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‘Mid-Harbor sesdueenadeneccasetesnsneneese

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2.4%

NEWS graphic Robyn Brown