Affordable Access to Essential Medications
Q: What prescription drug coverage is available under the 60+ Plan?
A: The 60+ Plan includes Base and Supplementary Drug Plans, with reimbursement rates from 30–70% and 24–56% respectively, based on eligible hours worked and BC Pharmacare limits.
Tom knew that as he grew older, he might rely more on prescription medications to maintain his health. Wanting to be prepared, he reviewed the details of the 60+ Plan to understand how drug coverage worked in retirement.
He discovered that the 60+ Plan offers two levels of drug coverage: the Base Drug Plan and the Supplementary Drug Plan. Both plans reimburse eligible prescription medications listed under BC Pharmacare, but the percentage of coverage depends on how many eligible hours Tom has accumulated with IATSE Local 891.
Under the Base Drug Plan, the reimbursement percentages are:
20,000–29,999 hours: 30%
30,000–39,999 hours: 40%
40,000–49,999 hours: 50%
50,000–59,999 hours: 60%
60,000+ hours: 70%
For the Supplementary Drug Plan—which covers eligible prescription drugs not fully covered by the base plan—the reimbursement percentages are slightly lower:
20,000–29,999 hours: 24%
30,000–39,999 hours: 32%
40,000–49,999 hours: 40%
50,000–59,999 hours: 48%
60,000+ hours: 56%
This tiered structure meant that Tom’s decades of work didn’t just earn him respect on set—it also gave him greater financial support for the medications he might need in retirement. With this understanding, he felt reassured knowing the plan could help keep his health costs manageable in the years ahead.