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The Ontario Government declared it, and it affects everyone who works for, or is retired from, the Ontario Public Service (about 100,000 people).
The government wants to reduce access to drug benefits dramatically.
Current drug coverage is 90 per cent of the drug’s cost, less a $3 deductible per prescription.
The government wants to create a three-tiered system. Tier 1 drugs would be covered 90 per cent;,Tier 2 drugs, 50 per cent;, Tier 3 drugs 20 per cent. You pay the rest.
Who decides which tier a specific drug falls to? A third-party hired by the government, whose commission is based on money saved.
Who decides which drug you should have? Your doctor. If it’s a Tier 3 drug and you can’t afford it? Well, tough. There is a long appeals process and you are on your own. Under the proposal the union could not challenge what drugs are on which tier.
For people with chronic ailments, and that includes a lot of retirees, appropriate medication can make the difference between a normal active life and great misery requiring even more intrusive medical attention.
This post card campaign, lead by the Retired Members Division Executive, is designed to fight back against the employer’s Tiered Drug Formulary proposal. If you are concerned about this issue, and would like to order postcards to send to your MPP, please email opsmob@opseu.org.