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7.4 Income Assistance and Family Services (Plan C)

Last updated on February 18, 2026

General Policy Description

Plan C covers eligible prescription drugs, dispensing fees, and medical devices and supplies for:

  • People receiving assistance through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR)
  • Children and youth in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), including by agreement
  • Indigenous children in the care of an Indigenous Governing Body (IGB)
  • People arriving in B.C. through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET)

Policy Details

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Eligibility

Eligible Plan C beneficiaries include:

  • Recipients of income assistance, disability assistance, hardship assistance and medical services only (MSO) through SDPR
  • Children and youth in care or in youth agreements, up to 19 years old
  • Children and youth in extended family program agreements, for a maximum of 30 months, up to 19 years old
  • A person who is or was an Indigenous child and is receiving services from an IGB. Each IGB has independent criteria for enrolment
  • For one year, people arriving in B.C. through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) and enrolled in the Medical Services Plan (MSP)
  • Plan C coverage is not extended to patients in acute or extended care hospitals or those covered under PharmaCare Plan B (Long-term Care)

The full terms of eligibility for Plan C are described in Division 1.1 of the Drug Plans Regulation.

 

What is covered?

Under Plan C, PharmaCare pays 100% of eligible prescription drugs, dispensing fees, and medical devices and supplies up to the maximum cost and dispensing fee recognized by PharmaCare.

The Full Payment Policy applies to Plan C, which means that clients may not be charged any amount for the eligible benefit, dispensing fee or for any other pharmacy service.

 

Coverage start date

Start date for SDPR and MCFD is when the ministry electronically provides Plan C eligibility information to PharmaNet. IGBs enrol children in Plan C through an MSP group. MSP enrolment activates one year of coverage for CUAET arrivals.

Coverage is in effect from the time eligibility information is in PharmaNet.

Plan C coverage cannot be provided retroactively.

 

Emergency Plan C coverage

Emergency Plan C coverage for up to 48 hours is available in several circumstances.

MCFD and SDPR may grant emergency Plan C coverage. As with regular Plan C, coverage is in effect from the time eligibility information is in PharmaNet. Emergency Plan C covers the same benefits as regular Plan C.

Prescribers supporting CUAET arrivals may secure emergency Plan C coverage by completing HLTH 5408 - Emergency BC PharmaCare Coverage for CUAET Arrivals (PDF, 1028KB). The client provides the completed form to a pharmacy. The pharmacist contacts the PharmaCare Help Desk to activate coverage in PharmaNet.

B.C. residents under an evacuation order may have access to emergency Plan C coverage. This coverage is supported by Emergency Support Services. The client provides a completed form to a pharmacy. The pharmacist contacts the PharmaCare Help Desk to activate coverage in PharmaNet.

IGBs cannot provide emergency Plan C coverage.

Emergency coverage cannot be provided retroactively.

 

Procedures for Pharmacists

Plan C coverage not showing in PharmaNet

Occasionally, the system interface with SDPR fails to send patient information electronically to PharmaNet, and the PharmaNet transaction does not provide the expected coverage.

If this occurs, pharmacists should call the PharmaCare Help Desk, which will confirm coverage with SDPR and activate short-term Plan C coverage in PharmaNet. If the Help Desk cannot confirm coverage, the client can be referred to the local SDPR office to obtain a Confirmation of Extended Health Coverage letter confirming Plan C coverage.