Fair PharmaCare plan

This page has information about BC PharmaCare's Fair PharmaCare plan.

On this page

• What to know
• Register now
• Who is eligible
• Consent to check income
• Deductible and family maximum
• Dependent children, students, and turning 19
• Taxes Filed form

What to know

The Fair PharmaCare plan helps B.C. families pay for many prescription drugs, dispensing fees, and some medical devices and supplies

Coverage is based on income. The less a family earns, the more help they get. A family can be a single person or a couple, with or without children.

Everyone in B.C. is encouraged to register. Register once, coverage for life.

If you have private health insurance, you may still get help with costs from Fair PharmaCare.

Fair PharmaCare does not cover costs from previous years or from times when the family’s MSP coverage was not active.

Register now

1. Register for Fair PharmaCare

• Register online for Fair PharmaCare 
• Or call us at 1-800-663-7100

You will need:

• Personal Health Numbers (all family members)
• Social Insurance Numbers (adults)
• Net income (line 23600) from CRA Notice of Assessment from two years ago
• Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) income, if applicable (line 12500)

Temporary coverage starts the same day you register by phone or online, based on the income information you provide. If you enter the wrong income when registering, call us right away so we can fix it.

You can also register by mail, using a by paper Fair PharmaCare registration form (PDF)

2. Return the consent form within 30 days

After you register, PharmaCare will send you a consent form, so we can check your income with CRA (Canada Revenue Agency). Return the consent form within 30 days. This step is necessary for full registration.

Lost your consent form? Request a replacement consent form

Need to file your taxes? Get help filing taxes

Can't find your tax return? To request past Notice of Assessments, contact CRA toll-free at 1 800 959-8281 or visit your CRA My Account

Not sure if you already registered for Fair PharmaCare? Use the Fair PharmaCare Registration Status Search and read about reinstating your coverage

Who is eligible

All residents of B.C. are eligible for income-based Fair PharmaCare coverage if they:

• Are enrolled in the Medical Services Plan (MSP), and
• Consent for PharmaCare to check income with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Coverage is for families, not individuals. For the purposes of Fair PharmaCare coverage, a family can be a:

• Single person
• Married or common-law couple
• Single person with dependent children
• Couple with dependent children

If your family has two spouses, both must register. If one spouse is not eligible, their income must be included in the registration.

If your family changes through adoption, separation, divorce, death or other, visit Updating your coverage information

If you are a guardian/power of attorney, you can register a friend/family member by phone or online. When you return the consent form, include a copy of the Power of Attorney.

Registering for Fair PharmaCare will not affect any federal coverage. In fact, Fair PharmaCare may cover some prescription drugs and supplies that are not covered by the federal plan.

Consent to check income

After you register, PharmaCare will send you a consent form that you must fill in, sign and send back within 30 days, so that we can check your income with CRA.

• If you do not return your CRA consent form, temporary coverage will end, and your family's deductible will be set at $10,000
• It may take up to 90 days to confirm your income with the CRA
• Once we verify your income, PharmaCare will send you a confirmation letter within 30 days, which will explain your coverage for the calendar year

PharmaCare calculates your coverage each year based on the income information PharmaCare receives from the CRA. Each year's coverage is based on your income from 2 years prior. As long as PharmaCare is able to verify your income each year with the CRA, your coverage continues.

Lost your consent form? Visit Request consent form or contact us. Return the form as soon as possible to ensure temporary coverage continues.

For details, visit How your Fair Pharmacare coverage is calculated

Deductible and family maximum

Eligible costs are the costs of drugs and medical supplies that PharmaCare covers. Eligible costs include dispensing fees of up to $11 for each prescription.

Deductible

A family’s deductible is the amount they need to spend each year on eligible costs before Fair PharmaCare starts to help with these costs. Once a family reaches their deductible, PharmaCare pays 70% of eligible costs, or 75% if a family member was born before 1940.

• Estimate your deductible at Fair PharmaCare assistance levels
• If you have trouble paying your deductible at the top of the year, consider the Monthly Deposit Payment Option
• If your income has dropped by 10%, you may want to apply for an income review

Estimate your deductible at Fair PharmaCare assistance levels

Family maximum

The family maximum is the most a family will spend per year on eligible costs. The portion you pay once you have met your deductible goes towards your family maximum.

After a family reaches their family maximum, Fair PharmaCare pays 100% of their eligible costs for the rest of the year

Estimate your family maximum at Fair PharmaCare assistance levels

Dependent children and students

A dependent child, as defined by MSP, is a B.C. resident who meets all of the following criteria:

• Age 18 or younger, or age 19 to 24 and attending school ir university full time
• Included on their parents' MSP plan (in the case of shared custody, they must be on only one parent's PharmaCare account and on that parent’s MSP plan)
• Not married or living in a marriage-like relationship

Dependents must live with the family whose PharmaCare plan they belong to. Adults cannot be registered as dependents.

Taxes Filed form

If you received a letter asking you to let BC PharmaCare know that you filed your taxes with the CRA, complete the online Fair PharmaCare Taxes Filed form or the paper version of the form (PDF, 116KB). This will allow us to set your deductible and family maximum for the year. If you received a letter referring to a tax year other than two years ago, please use the paper form.

You may not have been able to file taxes in Canada two years ago. You may have worked in another country or you may have been a minor (under 18) with no income. In this case, you may be able to report your income using the Fair PharmaCare Proof of Income Affidavit (PDF).