B.C. Medical Services Commission files court injunction against Telus Health’s LifePlus program | CBC News
The B.C. Medical Services Commission has filed a court injunction against Telus Health’s subscription Life Plus program.
The injunction, which was filed in B.C.’s Supreme Court Thursday, alleges the program violates the Medicare Protection Act, according to a statement from the province.
“It is very important to uphold the Medicare Protection Act, which is in place to preserve our publicly managed and fiscally sustainable health-care system for British Columbia,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix in the statement.
But Telus has pushed back against the claims, saying on its website that LifePlus program fees “are strictly for uninsured services and not publicly insured services,” adding that publicly insured services are billed to the patient’s medical services plan.
Telus says its LifePlus program involves “a dedicated team of professionals from different disciplines” who provide “unhurried, on-time care all year round.”
The program costs $4,650 for the first year and $3,600 in all subsequent years.
The Medicare Protection Act ensures that access to necessary medical care should be based on need and not an individual’s ability to pay. Health insurance premiums are permitted as long as residents are not denied coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services.
More to come.
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