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Getting meds in Canada when coverage runs out?

Sun, 12/17/2006 - 08:35
Hi There, Hopefully there are enough people from Canada or maybe even Ontario that can help me out with this one. I know medical insurance works different in Ontario, Canada than it does in the USA. Prescription coverage, dental, eyeglasses and some other things all go under what's known as "work benefits". In Ontario, anyone working pays OHIP Tax (Ontario Health Tax) and so when you see doctors, that's taken care of. Prescriptions are covered up to 80% if you have 'work benefits', and you still pay to have that - usually something like $40/pay. Thing is, as of Monday they downsized my department at work, so at the end of January income runs out & so does prescription coverage. Nothing to do with me being epileptic or anything. Just business & my stats sucked in that department. Thing is, I'm on Topomax, Keppra, and Clobazam. In mid-Jan. I can pick up enough to get me through to mid-March. Right now though depending on when I get a job, it could be a few months after that before I get those "work benefits" back. Any ideas on how to make sure I still have the medications? Thanks

Comments

Re: Getting meds in Canada when coverage runs out?

Submitted by heathersmithers on Sun, 2006-12-17 - 09:08
Hi Erin...long time...grin...apply now for trillum coverage,,,dont wait for your coverage to run out as they take forever to get it together,,,sigh... we appiled for a start date of august,,meaning we sent in orginal paperwork in July,,,we just now started getting covered this month,,,nad i have sent in thousands of receipts to them to get reimbursed for...... once you are on it,,you will do okay but it is to get on it that is a pain in the ass... in the meantime and i know this may be something you dont want to hear either,,,but once you lose the medical coverage ,,,you can call social services and ask about discrenery benifets,,, i am not quite sure how they work,,,i know it goes on your income,,, and if you are married, or common in law it also goes on your spouses,,,, I was a bit screwed there,,,as garry was downsized in april but he got a package from the company for a years wages so they would not help until we were broke,,,now they did suggest that we umm one lady put it,,,go broke and then call them....grin... so if you get a package,, you can always pay off all your debts etc... and then call them... grin.. We never made it that far,,, i was always anal about not being in debt...sigh..lol ...talk about shooting yourself in the foot...lol... So between the seziure meds and blood pressue meds we have been carrying about a 1300 dollar script bill a month till now... You can pick up a trillum form from the local drug store but please please call the number on the form to confirm the mailing address with them they have moved thier office and on the old forms it is the old address,,,it will delay your application if not lose it altogether if you send it to the old address......It is a relatively easy form to fill out though... Also if worse comes to worse,,,apparently your local epilepsly chapter might be able to help you out ,,, i never got that far though..yet... Good luck.. Heather

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