Further to the 2012-2014 collective agreement between the Nurses’ Bargaining Association and Health Employers’ Association of BC, the parties have agreed to move the effective date for full implementation of the Pharmacare tie-in to June 1, 2013.

The BlueNet direct-pay card will also be implemented June 1, 2013. The BlueNet Card allows direct-pay at the pharmacy for eligible prescriptions, instead of the current system of paying up front, and later submitting receipts for reimbursement.

The B.C. Liberal government began debate last week on Bill 18, legislation that fundamentally alters bargaining in the health sector.

In a brief opening to the debate in the B.C. legislature, health minister Margaret MacDiarmid claimed the legislation was in line with last year’s raid by the BC Nurses’ Union on Licenced Practical Nurses represented by HEU and other unions. She then flew to Vancouver to announce Bill 18 at the BCNU convention.

The Canadian Cancer Society – UBC Cancer Prevention Centre invites HSA members to participate in this study:

Are you a woman who works shifts? You may be eligible to participate in a sleep improvement program that may improve your quality of life, and help reduce breast cancer. Research has shown that women shift workers exposed to light at night are at increased risk for breast cancer.

In the last round of bargaining, the Nurses Bargaining Association negotiated changes to the extended health care plan. Prescription drug coverage now includes a PharmaCare tie-in. The change will go into effect on February 1, 2013.

The NBA agreed to introduce a managed formulary through the PharmaCare tie in to help manage rising costs, and ensure that members can continue to obtain the medications they need, or an equivalent alternative.

In the last round of bargaining, the Nurses Bargaining Association negotiated changes to the extended health care plan.  Prescription drug coverage now includes a PharmaCare tie-in. The change will go into effect on February 1, 2013.

The NBA agreed to introduce a managed formulary through the PharmaCare tie in to help manage rising costs, and ensure that members can continue to obtain the medications they need, or an equivalent alternative. 

In 2005, David Bland -- a vocationalrehabilitation counsellor and HSA member from Richmond Mental Health -- wasmurdered at his workplace by a former client.  His tragic death served asa sombre reminder that more needs to be done to prevent incidents of violencein the workplace and to protect health care and social services workers on thejob. 

In spite of an agreement reached between HSA and other health care unions and the Ministry of Health last week, some members continue to get pressure to either produce evidence of vaccination against seasonal influenza, or wear a mask during the flu season, which was declared open December 1.

For members information, at the meeting held between the Ministry of Health, HSA, BCGEU and HEU November 30, the following agreement was reached:

While the policy remains on the books the mandatory provisions of it will not be enforced. This means:

The Report: December 2012 vol.33 num.4

NURSES NEW CONTRACT MAKES ACCESS TO MEDICATION HARDER

PENSIONS Q AND A BY DENNIS BLATCHFORD, HSA PENSION AND BENEFIT ADVOCATE

Q. As a new HSA member who falls under the Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA) contract, could you please explain to me what the -PharmaCare tie-in" is all about?

On the eve of the implementation of a new province-wide policy that threatened to fire health science professionals who refused to declare whether they had been vaccinated against seasonal flu, Health Sciences Association  has negotiated an agreement that sees the government back off on the policys punitive aspects.

The Nurses' Bargaining Association has voted almost 85 percent in favour of accepting the contract negotiated last month between the NBA and the Health Employers Association of BC.

In the vote, psychiatric nurses represented by HSA registered their significant concerns about the imposition of two-tiered benefits proposed as part of the new contract.

The contract has provisions to reduce heavy workload, improve patient care, add more RNs/RPNs, and increase earnings for nurses.