Get help to pay for costs related to your health
Question & Answer
What happens to my ODSP when I turn 65?Prescription drugs
The Ontario Drug Benefit program pays most of the cost of prescription drugs for people who are:
- 65 and older, and
- have an Ontario health card.
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care sends you a letter 3 months before you turn 65. The letter tells you that the Ontario Drug Benefit program begins the month after your birthday.
When you're in the program, you pay part of the cost of your prescriptions. For example, some people pay:
- the first $100 of their total prescription costs each year, which is called the “deductible”, and
- up to $6.11 for each prescription, which is called the “co-payment”.
But people with low incomes can apply to the Ministry to pay less than this.
You can apply after you get the letter from the Ministry about the drug program. If the Ministry agrees that your is low enough:
- you won't have to pay the deductible, and
- your co-payments will be $2 or less.
Extended Health Benefits
You might be able to get Extended Health Benefits from the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) if:
- you no longer qualify financially for , and
- you have a lot of medical expenses or other costs related to your health.
It's a good idea to know about the health costs that ODSP can help pay for while you're getting income support from ODSP.
For example, when you're between 62 and 65, you may want to get new glasses or a hearing aid or have dental work done. If you do this, it can help you:
- get Extended Health Benefits because it shows the health costs that you have
- get ready for life when you're 65 and older, when you might not have help with some of the costs that ODSP pays for
Other programs
There might be other programs that can help pay for costs related to your health.
For example, you might be able to apply for help from:
- Diabetes Canada’s Ontario Monitoring for Health Program for diabetic supplies
- Assistive Devices Program
Ask your ODSP worker about programs that you can apply to.
