Palliative refers to patients who have been diagnosed by their physicians as being in the end stage of a terminal illness or disease which is expected to the primary cause of death within three months.
To qualify for drug coverage under this plan, you must:
- be a resident of Alberta
- be registered with the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan and have not opted out of the plan
- be diagnosed by a physician as being palliative
- be receiving your treatments at home
After a person has been diagnosed as being palliative by a physician, an application form must be completed and signed by both the patient (or guardian) and physician. The completed application form must be faxed to 780-422-0102 or mailed to Alberta Health and Wellness at:
PO Box 1360
Stn Main
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 2N3
More information
about the Palliative Care Drug Coverage plan.
Application form for plan coverage. Application forms are also available from Alberta Health and Wellness, Alberta Blue Cross, Alberta Cancer Board, your physician and the palliative care program or home care office in your health region.
The patient (or guardian) will receive written notification regarding acceptance into the program from Alberta Health and Wellness.
Your attending physician assigns the effective date for program coverage. The effective date must not be more than 30 days before the date Alberta Health and Wellness receives the application.
Under Palliative Care Drug Coverage, you are eligible for medications listed in the Alberta Health and Wellness Drug Benefit List and the Palliative Care Drug Benefit Supplement.
You will be asked to pay 30 per cent of the cost, to a maximum of $25, for each drug prescribed. If you choose a more expensive brand name drug instead of an equivalent generic drug, you will be asked to pay the additional cost.
When you have paid $1,000 towards the cost of eligible prescription drugs, Alberta Health and Wellness will cover 100 per cent of further eligible costs.
