ReachableHelp paying for dentists, prescriptions and glasses
There are five or six different programs in BC that pay for teeth, medicine and eyes. Nobody hands you a list. This is the list — what each one covers, who it is for, and the one you have to sign up for yourself or it does nothing at all.
Checked on 3 September 2026
At a glance
- What you get
- Dental care paid at plan rates, prescriptions covered in full or after a much smaller deductible, eye exams and glasses if you are on assistance, and $23 a visit toward physio, chiropractic or massage.
- Who it is for
- Anyone in BC enrolled in MSP. The most help goes to people on disability or income assistance, and to households with a lower income.
- What it costs
- Nothing to register or apply for any of them. Not one of these programs charges a fee.
- How long it takes
- Registering for Fair PharmaCare is one phone call, and your pharmacist can often do it at the counter. The dental plan sends a card in the mail once you are approved; the government pages do not say how long that takes, so apply now rather than when the toothache starts.
- The one thing to do today
- Register for Fair PharmaCare. It is free, it is not automatic, and until you do it the government treats your deductible as $10,000. See the Fair PharmaCare section.
Start with MSP
MSP is the Medical Services Plan, BC's public health insurance. It pays for doctors, nurse practitioners, hospital care and most medically needed tests. There is no monthly fee.
MSP does not cover prescriptions, most dental work, glasses or hearing aids. That is what the rest of this page is about. But nearly every program below checks that you have MSP first, so if you are not enrolled, that is step one.
Everyone who lives in BC is supposed to be enrolled, including children. Apply online at gov.bc.ca/AHDC, at a Service BC office, or on paper. You need two pieces of ID and a photo taken at an ICBC driver licensing office for your BC Services Card. If you moved here from another province, your old coverage did not come with you — and there is a wait of the rest of the month you arrived plus two more months.
Stuck? Call Health Insurance BC on 1-800-663-7100.
Fair PharmaCare: the one you must register for
This is the most-missed thing on the page, so it goes first.
Fair PharmaCare helps pay for prescription drugs. Every BC resident with MSP can use it. But you have to register, and it does not happen by itself. Registering is free, you only ever do it once, and it takes one phone call.
If you never registered, your deductible is $10,000
That is not a typo. Until you register, the system treats you as though you must spend $10,000 in a year before any help starts — which in practice means you pay full price at the counter, every single time. People go years like this. Some of them would have had no deductible at all.
How much help you get depends on your family's net income from two years ago.
| Family net income | What you pay first | Then PharmaCare pays |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 or less | Nothing — no deductible | 70% of eligible drug costs right away, then 100% once you reach your yearly maximum |
| Just above $30,000 (for example $30,000.01 to $31,667) | $650 | 70%, then 100% after $900 of your own money in the year |
| Higher incomes | Rises with income, up to $10,000 | 70%, then 100% at that income band's maximum |
| If anyone in the family was born before 1940 | Same deductible rules | 75% instead of 70% |
Register even if you think you will never reach the deductible. It costs nothing, and it is the difference between the pharmacy knowing who you are and not.
If your income dropped
Coverage is worked out from your income two years ago. If you retired, got sick, or lost your job since then, that old number is wrong for you. Ask PharmaCare for an income review and they will look at what you actually have now.
Fair PharmaCare registration (Health Insurance BC) — have your Personal Health Number and Social Insurance Number ready
You can also register online at my.gov.bc.ca/ahdc. Or just ask your pharmacist — many of them can do it for you at the counter.
What to say to your pharmacist
"Can you check which PharmaCare plan I'm on? I'm not sure I ever registered for Fair PharmaCare. If I haven't, can you help me register today? And can you tell me what my deductible is?"
Plan C and Plan G: free medication
Two PharmaCare plans cover the full cost, not a percentage.
Plan C — if you are on assistance
If you receive income assistance, disability assistance (PWD), hardship assistance or Medical Services Only, PharmaCare Plan C pays 100% of eligible drugs and the dispensing fee. The pharmacy is not allowed to bill you for an eligible drug.
You do not apply. The ministry enrols you when it approves your assistance. Some prostheses, ostomy supplies and insulin pumps are also covered, with approval. There is even an emergency version that gives 48 hours of coverage while your enrolment is finished.
If a pharmacy tells you that you are not covered, do not pay and walk away — call the ministry on 1-866-866-0800 and get it sorted.
Plan G — psychiatric medication
Plan G covers 100% of eligible psychiatric medications and treatments for opioid use disorder, for people in BC who cannot afford them. Plenty of people pay full price for years because nobody ever mentioned it.
You cannot apply yourself. Ask your doctor, nurse practitioner or psychiatrist. They fill in form HLTH 3497, you sign it, and they fax it to a Mental Health and Substance Use centre.
Regular coverage lasts one year at a time and has to be renewed, so see your prescriber before it runs out. There is also six-month coverage for people not yet on MSP, and short bridge coverage in urgent cases. The government pages do not print an income cut-off for Plan G, so check with your prescriber or PharmaCare rather than deciding for yourself that you earn too much.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is federal. It pays for dental care for people who have no private dental insurance and a family income under $90,000. Applications for the 2026 to 2027 period are open.
You must meet all four of these:
- No access to private dental insurance — through a job, a pension, a spouse's or parent's plan, a student or professional group, or a policy you bought. It counts as coverage even if you never use it. Check box 45 on your T4 or box 015 on your T4A: a "1" means no coverage.
- You filed last year's tax return — and so did your spouse or partner.
- Adjusted family net income under $90,000.
- You are a Canadian resident for tax purposes.
| Adjusted family net income | The plan pays | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| Under $70,000 | 100% of the plan's fee | Nothing toward the plan fee |
| $70,000 to $79,999 | 60% | 40% |
| $80,000 to $89,999 | 40% | 60% |
The plan's fee may not be the dentist's fee
CDCP pays at its own fee guide. If your dentist charges more than that, you pay the difference, even in the under-$70,000 band. Ask two questions before any work is done: "Do you take CDCP patients?" and "Will you bill the plan directly, and will there be anything left for me to pay?" Some treatments also need approval before they start.
Being on BC disability or income assistance does not shut you out of CDCP. Government dental coverage does not disqualify you — the two plans coordinate. If you are on assistance, apply for this too.
Apply online at canada.ca or by phone on 1-833-537-4342 (TTY 1-833-677-6262). Have your Social Insurance Number, date of birth, address and your spouse's details ready. Sun Life sends a welcome package and a member card once you are approved.
You have to renew every year. For the 2026 to 2027 period the renewal deadline was 1 June 2026. If you missed it you can apply again, but there may be a gap where you are not covered.
Dental, glasses and equipment on assistance
If you receive disability assistance (PWD) or income assistance, the ministry has its own health supplements. Most of them are also open to people on hardship assistance and to people on Medical Services Only — that is the coverage you keep when you leave assistance for a job.
| What | How much |
|---|---|
| Basic dental — fillings, extractions, cleanings | Up to $1,000 over two calendar years, starting 1 January of every odd-numbered year |
| Emergency dental to relieve pain | Available to everyone on assistance |
| Dentures, relines, and some crowns and bridges | In certain cases — ask first |
| Routine eye exam | Once every two years, up to $48.90 (the rate table pays $44.83 at an optometrist and $48.90 at an ophthalmologist) |
| Glasses | Up to the ministry's rate; new lenses when your prescription changes; repairs and a case |
| Diet supplements | $15 to $80 a month depending on the diet — for example diabetes $60, gluten-free $65, cystic fibrosis $80 |
| Monthly Nutritional Supplement (PWD only) | Up to $180 a month for food, plus up to $45 a month for vitamins and minerals |
| Medical equipment | Canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, seating, scooters, hospital beds, lifts and more |
| Medical transportation | Help with unusual costs of travelling for essential treatment |
Get approval before you spend a dollar
This is the rule that catches everybody. The ministry has to approve most of these before you buy. Buy the walker or book the trip first and you can be refused afterwards, with the bill already in your hand. Call 1-866-866-0800 before you go, and ask them to confirm that you are eligible, the item is eligible, and what paperwork they need.
For dental and eye appointments it is simpler: tell the clinic you are on assistance and show your BC Services Card. They check with Pacific Blue Cross and bill the ministry. But the ministry pays at its own fee schedule, and a dentist who charges more can bill you the difference — so ask before the appointment, not after.
What to say when you book a dental appointment
"I'm on BC disability assistance and I'd like to know if you accept the ministry rate. If there's any part I'd have to pay myself, can you tell me the amount before you start the work? I also have the Canadian Dental Care Plan — do you bill that directly?"
If you do not yet have the PWD designation, it is worth reading about — it is what switches most of this on. See our guide to getting the PWD designation in BC.
$23 a visit for physio, chiro and massage
MSP normally pays nothing toward physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, naturopathy or podiatry. There is an exception for people with lower incomes, and almost nobody knows about it.
MSP supplementary benefits pay $23 per visit, for a combined total of 10 visits a calendar year across all six kinds of practitioner. To qualify you need MSP, 12 months of living in Canada, and an adjusted family net income under $42,000.
It is automatic if you are on provincial income or disability assistance, if you are a convention refugee, if you are in long-term care and receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement, or if you are a First Nations person with valid BC medical coverage. Everyone else applies once, using the Application for Health and Drug Coverage at gov.bc.ca/AHDC — the same form that registers you for Fair PharmaCare.
Practitioners can charge more than $23 and you pay the difference, so ask what a visit costs before you book. Some clinics offer a reduced rate for supplementary benefit patients. It is worth asking.
Oxygen at home, and medicine at the end of life
Two more programs that people find out about far too late.
Home oxygen
If you need extra oxygen, the Home Oxygen Program can supply the oxygen and the equipment so you can stay at home instead of in hospital. On Vancouver Island it is run by Island Health out of Royal Jubilee Hospital, and respiratory therapists come out to check your levels and adjust the flow.
Only a doctor or nurse practitioner can start it. They do a breathing test — measured while you breathe ordinary room air — and fax the application to an approved supplier. The program does not publish a dollar figure or a patient share, so check the current amount when you call. If you have extended health benefits, they pay first, but that does not shut you out.
Island Health Home Oxygen Program: 250-370-8840 or 1-866-370-8840.
Palliative care medicines (Plan P)
If someone has a life-threatening illness, has chosen care focused on comfort, and is being looked after at home, PharmaCare Plan P pays 100% of the medicines on its palliative list, including the dispensing fee. There is no deductible and no income test.
"Home" includes a family member's or friend's home, an assisted living residence, a hospice unit or a residential care home. A doctor or nurse practitioner registers the person on form HLTH 349, usually processed within 12 to 24 hours. The local health authority supplies equipment and supplies separately.
Families often pay out of pocket for months because nobody said the word. In Victoria, ask your doctor, or call Victoria Hospice on 250-370-8715 or PharmaCare on 1-800-663-7100.
What to do this week, step by step
- Check you are enrolled in MSP. If not, apply at gov.bc.ca/AHDC or call 1-800-663-7100. Everything else waits on this.
- Register for Fair PharmaCare — 1-800-663-7100, or my.gov.bc.ca/ahdc, or ask your pharmacist. Have your Personal Health Number and Social Insurance Number handy. This is the one people skip.
- File your taxes, and your spouse's. The dental plan, PharmaCare and the supplementary benefits are all worked out from tax returns. No return means no coverage. Free clinics in Victoria will file past years for you — see our free tax help guide.
- Apply for the Canadian Dental Care Plan at canada.ca or on 1-833-537-4342, if you have no private dental insurance. Do it even if you are on assistance.
- If your income is under $42,000, apply for MSP supplementary benefits using the Application for Health and Drug Coverage. Skip this if you are on assistance — you already have it.
- If you take psychiatric medication and it costs you money, ask your prescriber about Plan G at your next appointment. Write it on a piece of paper so you do not forget.
- If you are on assistance, phone the ministry before any dental, equipment or travel expense on 1-866-866-0800 and get it approved first.
- Put a note in the calendar to renew. The dental plan renews yearly. Plan G renews yearly. Missing a renewal is the most common way people lose coverage they already had.
Why people miss this
- They never registered for Fair PharmaCare. It is not automatic, nobody chases you, and until you do it your deductible is treated as $10,000.
- Their income dropped but the coverage did not follow. PharmaCare uses income from two years ago. Ask for an income review.
- They assume they earn too much for the dental plan. The line is $90,000 of family income. A senior on a small pension is nowhere near it.
- They have a workplace plan they never use. That still counts as insurance for CDCP, and it is worth knowing before you apply.
- A spouse did not file taxes, so the whole household was refused.
- They think dental on assistance is "only for kids" or only for emergencies. It is not.
- They bought the equipment first, then found out the ministry needed to approve it.
- They paid full price for psychiatric medication for years because nobody mentioned Plan G.
- They believe "MSP doesn't cover physio" and never hear about the under-$42,000 exception.
- They let a renewal lapse and only found out at the counter.
Where to get help in Victoria
Health Insurance BC — MSP, Fair PharmaCare and supplementary benefits, all on one number
- Canadian Dental Care Plan (Service Canada): 1-833-537-4342, TTY 1-833-677-6262.
- Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction — health supplements and pre-approval: 1-866-866-0800.
- Your pharmacist. The most underrated help on this page. They can tell you which plan you are on, register you for Fair PharmaCare, and explain what you are being charged and why.
- Together Against Poverty Society (TAPS), 828 View Street — free advocacy if the ministry refuses a supplement. 250-361-3521
- Victoria Disability Resource Centre, 817A Fort Street — help with forms. 250-595-0044
- HealthLink BC — dial 811 free, any time, to speak with a nurse. Deaf or hard of hearing: dial 711.
- 211 — dial 211 for community dental clinics and other options near you.
Or call the Reachable Line and we will look it up with you, out loud, at your pace.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page comes from a government page we read on the date shown. Income bands and rates change, usually each year. If you are reading this long after the date at the top, phone the number above and check.
- Service Canada, Canadian Dental Care Plan (applications open for 2026 to 2027, 1-833-537-4342): canada.ca — dental care plan (read 1 September 2026)
- Do you qualify — the four requirements and the $90,000 line: canada.ca — qualify (read 1 September 2026)
- What is covered — the co-payment bands and the plan fee guide: canada.ca — coverage (read 1 September 2026)
- Province of BC, Fair PharmaCare plan and the regular assistance levels table (updated 1 May 2026): gov.bc.ca — Fair PharmaCare (read 1 September 2026)
- Plan C: Income Assistance and Family Services: gov.bc.ca — Plan C (read 1 September 2026)
- Plan G: Psychiatric Medications (form HLTH 3497, one-year coverage): gov.bc.ca — Plan G (read 1 September 2026)
- Province of BC, How to enrol in MSP: gov.bc.ca — enrol in MSP (read 1 September 2026)
- MSP Supplementary Benefits ($23 a visit, 10 visits, under $42,000; page updated 15 June 2026): gov.bc.ca — supplementary benefits (read 1 September 2026)
- Province of BC, Dental supplements for people on assistance: gov.bc.ca — dental (read 1 September 2026)
- Optical supplements: gov.bc.ca — optical (read 1 September 2026)
- Health Supplements and Programs Rate Table (eye exam rates, diet supplement amounts): gov.bc.ca — health supplements rates (read 1 September 2026)
- BCEA Policy and Procedure Manual, Monthly Nutritional Supplement and Medical Equipment and Devices: gov.bc.ca — monthly nutritional supplement (read 1 September 2026)
- Island Health, Home Oxygen Program: islandhealth.ca — home oxygen (read 2 September 2026)
- Province of BC, Palliative Care (Plan P): gov.bc.ca — Plan P (read 2 September 2026)
- Victoria Hospice (address and phone): victoriahospice.org (read 2 September 2026)
- Together Against Poverty Society: tapsbc.ca (read 1 September 2026)
- Victoria Disability Resource Centre: drcvictoria.com (read 1 September 2026)
Reachable is not the government, a pharmacy, or your doctor. This guide explains public programs in plain language so you can go and claim them. It is not medical advice about your own treatment.