Manitobans who were previously exempt from paying deductibles under the provincial drug program have been notified that exemption will come to an end on April 1. Hillier is one of about 1,100 Manitobans enrolled in the Special Drug Program, or SDP, formerly called the Life-Saving Drug Program. When the province's current drug program, Pharmacare, was introduced in 1996, those people were "grandfathered in" and continued to benefit from the exemption, while other Manitobans began paying a deductible based on their household income. The change is about fairness, says Patricia Caetano, the executive director of Manitoba Health's provincial drug program. (CBC)Those born or diagnosed after 1996 were automatically enrolled in the deductible system, she said.

Source: CBC News February 13, 2018 23:25 UTC