PSHCP Pay Direct Drug Card Implementation Delayed | Public Service Alliance of Canada

Unfortunately, the implementation of a Pay Direct Card for members of the Public Service Health Care Plan has been further delayed. The Card was the major priority flowing from the 2005 renegotiation of the Public Service Health Care Plan, however there are still a number of steps to be completed before the Card will be introduced.

Treasury Board originally committed to an implementation date of 2008, however it is still in the preliminary process of tendering the renewal of the contract with Sun Life for the ongoing administration of the Plan. That process is bogged down in the RFI (Request for Information) and RFP (Request for Proposal) processes currently being administered by PWGSC.

As a result, the card will not be introduced until this contract has been awarded and then the administrator will have to finalize the Positive Enrollment (registration) process. Essentially, the administrator will have to identify all the plan members (more than 500,000 members) and their dependents for a total of more than 1.1 million participants. The Card will probably not be introduced until sometime next year.

The PSAC leadership is frustrated by the delay and has indicated so to Treasury Board officials. Updates on the status will be posted on the PSAC website as necessary. In the meantime let your Member of Parliament know that you are displeased with Treasury Board's performance. Fax your MP and ask him/her to contact Treasury Board president Vic Toews with the message that Treasury Board should live up to its commitments and issue those cards in 2008. Use the sample letter below to help start you off. You can edit it to include your own comments.

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Ottawa ON K2P 0A6

As my Member of Parliament, I urge you to contact Treasury Board president Vic Toews and communicate my concern over the delay of the issuance of cards for prescription drugs. This benefit was negotiated for me by my union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada with the understanding that the implementation date was to be the spring of 2008. However, I have been informed now that Treasury Board will not be issuing these cards until late 2009.

As it stands now, I am compelled to pay for prescriptions up front and then submit a claim to the insurance carrier that covers the plan. This places a financial burden on me that I would not have to bear if I had access to a health plan card. Using these cards for prescriptions eliminates the requirement for me to pay up front. 
Once again, I ask that you contact Treasury Board President Vic Toews and request that these cards be issued in 2008. I would also ask that you follow up and inform me about Mr. Toews's response.

Sincerely,

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