This policy will apply to all patients who are actively enrolled in a Canadian Provincial / Territories medical plan, other than British Columbia, and who attend the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA) for systemic therapy care or treatment.
1. All patients seen at the BC Cancer Agency are assigned a BC Cancer Agency ID number as part of the registration process only
2. Inpatient Costs
Cancer drug costs associated with treatment in an inpatient setting will be charged to the patient’s home province at the rate approved by the Interprovincial Health Insurance Agreement Coordinating Committee.
3. Outpatient Costs
a) Intravenous Drugs covered by patient’s home province/territory
The rate approved by the Interprovincial Health Insurance Agreement Coordinating Committee will be charged to the patient’s home province/territory.
b) Intravenous Drugs not covered by the patient’s home province/territory
The patient will be responsible for the costs of those drugs.
c) Oral, hormonal or injectible (“take home”) cancer drugs
The costs of take-home drugs are not covered by BC. Patients may take prescriptions for these drugs to be filled at a retail pharmacy of their choice. The cost of these drugs will be the responsibility of the patient or their extended health plan, or that of the province/territory where there is coverage for such drugs.
For Alberta, a reciprocal billing agreement is in place such that the respective agencies may bill each other for take-home drugs on the respective Benefit Drug List dispensed for the appropriate indications.
4. Contact Information
For the most up-to-date cancer drug coverage information, please contact your provincial cancer agency.
For further BC Cancer Agency information, please contact Provincial Pharmacy Program at 604-877-6098 extn 2675 or email to: rowenalee@bccancer.bc.ca