Alberta, Canada——-coverage for Capecitabine (Xeloda)?

[Daniellabella]

Hi all,

We are in Alberta and found out today that my husband will have to take Capecitabine for 5.5 weeks.

Anyone in Alberta know if Alberta Blue Cross covers this drug?

[Dionca]

It's on the Alberta Health Services drug benefit list. Here's the link
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/as ... t-list.pdf

Alberta Health Services shall provide cancer drugs specified in the Outpatient Cancer Drug Benefit Program, at no charge, to eligible residents for the treatment of cancer as outlined in Ministerial Order # 10/2009.

To qualify, you have to be an eligible resident of Alberta. I don't know what the following means, because I'm not in Alberta:

Eligibility
- hold a valid certificate of registration under the Health Insurance Premiums Act
- is registered in the Cancer Registry
- requires cancer drugs to treat cancer

I know when I was searching - some provinces were covered for Capecitabine/Xeloda and others were not. It wasn't covered in Ontario at that time (but it was in BC). I think it might be covered in Ontario now, but not sure. Their reasoning for not covering it, was that it wasn't administered in a hospital.

Most large hospitals have people on staff that can navigate the system for you, if you are not sure which drugs are covered or not. For example, I needed Neulasta for low white blood count and it wasn't covered, so she negotiated with my private insurance company who paid most of it, and put me in touch with some program that paid the rest. This was not something I would have known to do myself.

Anyway, It doesn't appear that your husband will have a problem being covered for Xeloda.

[Daniellabella]

It's on the Alberta Health Services drug benefit list. Here's the link
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/as ... t-list.pdf

Alberta Health Services shall provide cancer drugs specified in the Outpatient Cancer Drug Benefit Program, at no charge, to eligible residents for the treatment of cancer as outlined in Ministerial Order # 10/2009.

To qualify, you have to be an eligible resident of Alberta. I don't know what the following means, because I'm not in Alberta:

Eligibility
- hold a valid certificate of registration under the Health Insurance Premiums Act
- is registered in the Cancer Registry
- requires cancer drugs to treat cancer

I know when I was searching - some provinces were covered for Capecitabine/Xeloda and others were not. It wasn't covered in Ontario at that time (but it was in BC). I think it might be covered in Ontario now, but not sure. Their reasoning for not covering it, was that it wasn't administered in a hospital.

Most large hospitals have people on staff that can navigate the system for you, if you are not sure which drugs are covered or not. For example, I needed Neulasta for low white blood count and it wasn't covered, so she negotiated with my private insurance company who paid most of it, and put me in touch with some program that paid the rest. This was not something I would have known to do myself.

Anyway, It doesn't appear that your husband will have a problem being covered for Xeloda.

Thank you! I appreciate it!!!