Fair PharmaCare

In early 2003, the government of British Columbia introduced Fair PharmaCare, a plan that aligns prescription drugs deductibles with family income.

Under the provisions of the Extended Health Benefit, the prescription drug plan coordinates coverage with the Fair PharmaCare Plan. By registering for Fair PharmaCare and paying the correct deductible, we can stretch our Extended Health Benefits resources even further. Registering ensures that Fair PharmaCare and not our extended health plan pays for drug costs after your new deductible has been reached.

To ensure proper coordination of prescription drug claims under the extended health plan, Sun Life, our benefits provider, will not process claims once your family’s drug claims reach a threshold of $600, unless you have confirmed proof of registration in Fair PharmaCare. For retirees, this threshold is $100.

Confirming your Fair PharmaCare Registration

Your Fair PharmaCare registration will be checked right at the pharmacy when you use your pay-direct drug card.

If you have not already confirmed your registration with Sun Life and you haven’t yet reached the threshold, your pharmacist will simply remind you to register for the program the next time you fill a prescription using your pay-direct drug card. For retirees, there is no pay-direct drug card option on the Retirement and Survivor Benefits Program.

However, if your drug claims have already reached the threshold, your claim will be declined until you provide Sun Life proof of your Fair PharmaCare registration.

IMPORTANT: It will take 48 hours for your status change to be processed by Sun Life. You will not be able to use your pay-direct drug card until then. If you require a prescription right away, you can pay for it out-of-pocket and at a later time submit a paper claim to Sun Life using an Extended Health Care claim form available on the Sun Life members website (your access ID and Password is required to download the form).

Sun Life has streamlined their process to make it easier for plan members to confirm their Fair PharmaCare registration in advance of reaching the threshold. This is to ensure that Sun Life has the information they need to promptly process drug claims for you and your family (see below).

How to provide Sun Life with proof of your registration:

Please notify Sun Life of your Fair PharmaCare registration number. (When you registered for Fair PharmaCare, you received a letter with your families’ registration number. If you have registered for Fair PharmaCare and have misplaced your letter, you can also provide Sun Life with your Personal Health Number on your BC Care Card.) For a detailed explanation on how to provide Sun Life with your proof of registration, please follow the instructions below:

You will also need to tell Sun Life your group number (25205) and your member ID (7-digit UBC employee ID).

• Telephone: Call the Sun Life Customer Care Centre at 1-800-361-6212 from Monday – Friday from 5:00 am – 5:00 pm PST;
• Secure Message: Go to www.sunlife.ca/member, log on with your Access ID and password, and select “Secure messages”. Provide your Fair PharmaCare registration number;
• Mail: Send a letter or forward a copy of your confirmation letter to the Sun Life Claims Office: PO Box 2010 Stn Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 0A6;
• Send proof of your registration with your next claims submission to Sun Life.

If you have not registered for Fair PharmaCare:
Please do so immediately – you can register by phone or on-line:

• Telephone: In Vancouver, call 604-683-7151 from Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm PST ; Elsewhere in BC call 1-800-663-7100 during same hours;
• Internet: Go to the PharmaCare website and register for Fair PharmaCare.