Health officials are reminding soon-to-be seniors to prioritize their applications for the seniors’ drug coverage plan to avoid delays.
The prescription plan offered by the Alberta Blue Cross provides coverage for prescriptions and other health-related services for those age 65 and older.
One Edmonton senior told CTV News that she had to wait nearly six weeks to have her coverage arranged, forcing her to pay out of pocket for her treatments.
Sharon Dixon is a head and neck cancer survivor. She says purchasing her daily medications following her retirement has been a tough pill to swallow.
“It is a burden because I am no longer being paid through my job,” said Dixon. “Each time I get in contact with them they keep telling me to submit my birth certificate and I keep telling them I have already done that.”
A spokesperson with Alberta Health confirmed Dixon's application has taken longer than normal to process.
“We're currently reviewing our processes to determine what happened and if improvements are needed and in the meantime our staff have called the applicant, apologized and have expedited her application,” said Alberta Health Spokesperson Cam Traynor.
Traynor tells CTV that her coverage will come into effect Saturday and the prescriptions that were paid out-of-pocket will be reimbursed.
Details on how to apply for seniors’ benefits are found here.
With files from Nicole Weisberg
