Supports for Islanders living with an ostomy available January 1

Supporting Island Families -

Beginning January 1, 2019, more than 580 Islanders living with a permanent ostomy will be eligible for financial assistance.

Islanders can access the forms required to apply to the new Ostomy Supplies Program online or call the PEI Pharmacare Program toll-fee 1-877-577-3737.

“Ostomy supplies can be costly, so being able to provide funding for supplies is crucial to improving access to care and, more importantly, to health outcomes and quality of life for those living with ostomies,” said Health and Wellness Minister Robert Mitchell. “It is important that we continue to put Islanders and patients first, and we are pleased to be able to offer this support to those who need it.”

Individuals living with an ostomy use an external pouch to eliminate waste from their body. Through the new Ostomy Supplies Program Islanders may be eligible for 60 to 90 per cent coverage to assist with the out-of-pocket cost of eligible ostomy supplies to a maximum of $2,400 per full program year (from July 1 – June 30).

Under the program, eligible supplies include:
•    Skin wafers
•    Ostomy pouches
•    Adhesive removers
•    Skin barrier wipes
•    Stoma powders, pastes and barrier rings
•    Ostomy belts

“This program will change the lives of so many Islanders as the cost of supplies can be a burden and barrier to care for many,” said Grant Wyand, pharmacist and acting manager of PEI Pharmacare. “Through this new program, we can now provide meaningful support to those who need it. We have been working diligently to make it easy for Islanders to register with the program – either online or by calling our office – so they can access the support they need.” 

Additional ostomy support will continue to be provided for low-income individuals who quality for AccessAbility Supports through the Department of Family and Human Services.

 
Media Contact:
Amanda Hamel
ajhamel@gov.pe.ca
 

Backgrounder: 

PEI’s new Ostomy Supplies Program:
Coverage rates per ostomy are illustrated in the table below. Where an individual client has private health insurance, the amounts paid by the government and the individual are applied to the amount not covered by the insurer.

      
Additional ostomy support will continue to be provided for low-income individuals who quality for AccessAbility Supports through the Department of Family and Human Services.

About Ostomy:
Ostomy surgery is a procedure that allows bodily waste to pass through a surgically created opening (stoma) on the abdomen into a prosthetic (ostomy bag or pouch) on the outside of the body. An ostomy may be necessary due to birth defect, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and severe abdominal or pelvic trauma, among other conditions. Colostomies, urostomies, and ileostomies are the most common types of ostomy procedures.