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Treatment coverage in your region

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Prescription Drug Programs in Manitoba

In Manitoba, Pharmacare may be able to help you pay for your prescription drugs. The amount of help you can get from Pharmacare depends on how much money you make and how much you pay for your prescription drugs. You will have to pay a fee each year to get coverage through Pharmacare. This fee is called a deductible. If you need to pay for expensive hepatitis C treatment medications, you may be able to pay your Pharmacare deductible in 12 equal payments so that you don't have to pay it all at once.

To get Pharmacare, you must:

  • have Manitoba Health coverage (i.e., a health card—if you don't have a health card, click here to find out how you can get one)
  • need help to pay for prescription drugs that cost more than the amount you pay Pharmacare (your deductible)
  • not have any other drug plan that helps you pay for your prescription drugs
Getting My Hepatitis C Medications

If you get Employment and Income Assistance (EIA),  you can apply to have this program cover the cost of your hepatitis C medications. Your doctor and your EIA case worker may be able to help you apply.

You will need to get your hepatitis C medications approved by the Exception Drug Status Program (EDS) before they can be covered by your drug program. To do this, you can ask your doctor to call, mail or fax a letter to the EDS program to find out if they will cover the cost of your hepatitis C medications. The EDS program will send a letter to you and your doctor telling you if EIA will pay for your drugs or not. If your request is approved, you will be able to get your medications at the pharmacy by showing your health card.

If you would like more information about Pharmacare or the EDS program, you can call the Provincial Drug Program (Pharmacare) phone line at 1-800-297-8099.

If you're a registered First Nations or recognized Inuit person, the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program may be able to help cover the cost of your hepatitis C medications. You can contact NIHB by phone or mail at:

Non-Insured Health Benefits – Manitoba Region
First Nations and Inuit Health
Health Canada
391 York Avenue, Suite 300
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3C 4W1
                                                                                                                     Tel: (204) 983-8886
Toll-free 1-800-665-8507

 
Costs and Coverage for Treatment in Canada  

Some national programs in Canada are available to help people with drug costs.

Peg-Care & Pegassist

Two of the pharmaceutical companies that make Hep C medications have programs to help people complete treatment. Merck has the Peg-Care program for people taking peg-interferon alpha-2b (known as Pegetron). Hoffman-La Roche has the Pegassist program for people taking peg-interferon alpha-2a (known as Pegasys).

These programs both have 24-hour phone support for people taking Hep C treatment; part of this support is helping people access the funding necessary to cover treatment costs. They can inform you about local, provincial and federal government programs for accessing treatment. They can also help you find ways to access and use public funding or private medical insurance, including the appeals process if you have a supportive doctor. If you are eligible, they can even help cover the insurance company co-pay fee, provincial or territorial plan's deductible and other expenses, depending on your specific situation.

For more information, contact:

 Pegassist Program

 1-877-PEGASYS (1-877-734-2797)

 Peg-Care Program

 1-866-872-5773

Revised 2011.