It marks an important milestone for Mack Trucks, for waste management company Emterra Environmental, and the City of Courtenay and Town of Comox on Vancouver Island.
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For Mack, the delivery of LR Electric refuse trucks to Emterra represented its largest single order of electric trucks. Three of a total eight electric refuse trucks were displayed during a special ceremony at the Comox Valley Marina, where they were welcomed with a traditional ceremony by special guests and members of the K’omoks First Nations.

For Emterra, it was a special day because the company continued to expand its sustainability mandate in building a circular economy. And for residents and elected officials from the City of Courtenay and Town of Comox, it was an opportunity to improve air quality and reduce noise pollution for inhabitants.

Navigating the legal system without the guidance of a legal professional can be overwhelming and many people choose to try to solve their own legal problems because they can’t afford help. The proposed Legal Professions Act will bring legal professions under a new single regulatory body and, depending on the legal matter, offers people the choice of hiring a lawyer, a notary public or a new designation called a regulated paralegal to assist them.
“When you need legal assistance, you shouldn’t have to choose between straining your finances or navigating a complicated legal matter on your own,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “We’re giving more people more options and helping level the playing field for people trying to resolve their legal issues.”

BC Hydro has launched a call for power to ensure that people and businesses will have the clean, affordable electricity needed to power B.C.’s growing economy and create jobs throughout the province.
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“British Columbians are on the front lines of the fight against climate change and seeing the devastating impact it is having on our communities. The switch from fossil fuels to clean power has never felt more urgent,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “That’s why we are working in collaboration with BC Hydro, First Nations and the independent power industry to generate more of the electricity that B.C. needs to build a clean economy and power our future.”       

People living with diabetes will benefit from BC PharmaCare’s coverage of FreeStyle Libre 2, a flash glucose monitor (FGM) that allows users to read their blood-sugar levels by swiping a hand-held device or smartphone over the sensor.

The FreeStyle Libre 2 will be covered by BC PharmaCare as a limited-coverage benefit beginning Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.

Glucose monitors enable patients or their caregivers to take action sooner, and help protect people by empowering patients, caregivers and clinicians to identify glucose trends and adjust medications, activity and food intake.

An FGM system uses an externally worn glucose sensor that is inserted under the skin of a person’s upper arm. When the sensor is “flashed” or scanned with a reader device or smartphone, it transmits the real-time glucose reading and information to the user. A sensor can be worn continuously for as many as 14 days.

Similar to the Dexcom G6, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) covered by PharmaCare since June 2021, the FreeStyle Libre 2 helps people living with diabetes better manage their blood-sugar levels without having to prick their finger multiple times a day to test manually. 
PharmaCare currently covers approximately 13,000 patients for the Dexcom G6. New patients may use a FreeStyle Libre 2 once it becomes a PharmaCare benefit.

Diabetes affects the body’s ability to regulate blood-glucose levels. The complications of poorly controlled diabetes range from acute (e.g., fatigue, ketoacidosis, seizures) to chronic (e.g., nerve and organ damage). In Canada, diabetes is the sixth-leading cause of death and the leading cause of blindness, end-stage kidney disease and non-traumatic amputation.
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PharmaCare continues to improve access to the medical devices and prescription drugs that people in B.C. need. In January 2019, B.C. made a $105-million investment over three years to reduce and/or eliminate Fair PharmaCare deductibles and co-payments for British Columbians with lower incomes. 

Learn More: For more information about diabetes, visit:
https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/illnesses-conditions/diabetes/diabetes
To learn more about the Dexcom 6 CGM, visit:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021HLTH0113-001142
About PharmaCare coverage of diabetes supplies:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/what-we-cover/medical-supplies-coverage/diabetes-supplies​

Increasing government’s share of the reimbursement cost – in some cases, even doubling it – will mean it will be more affordable for British Columbians to get these devices and enjoy their many health benefits.”  
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As of Friday, Oct. 8, 2021, BC PharmaCare is increasing the reimbursement amount for:

• prosthetics for arms and legs;
• orthotics for children and youth; and
• non-limb prosthetics, such as eyes, ears and noses.

The increased reimbursement amount will close the gap between BC PharmaCare’s maximum reimbursement amounts and a provider’s fees, making the devices more affordable. It will also benefit providers who may otherwise incur losses when patients are unable to afford the cost.

BC PharmaCare covers labour and material costs for manufacturing and dispensing custom prosthetics and orthotics, based on the recipient’s PharmaCare plan. Prosthetists and orthotists must be enrolled in PharmaCare as device providers to submit claims on behalf of their patients.

The new schedule, which is based on the Prosthetic and Orthotic Association of British Columbia’s fee guidelines, is expected to benefit more than 2,500 people in B.C. each year and cost BC PharmaCare $5 million over two years. This is the first change to the schedule since 2010.

​This reimbursement increase is one more way BC PharmaCare helps people in B.C. access the medical devices and prescription drugs they need. In January 2019, B.C. made a $105-million investment over three years to reduce or eliminate Fair PharmaCare deductibles and co-payments for lower-income British Columbians. Starting Jan. 1, 2020, government eliminated Medical Services Plan premiums, giving more money back to British Columbians.

Learn More:

​To learn more about BC PharmaCare, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare

To learn more about prosthetics and orthotics, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/medicalsupplies

The team at Egami Creative definitely exceeded our expectations! I have to say they were extremely helpful and Nancy went above and beyond to answer to all of our questions from beginning to end.

So nice to work with a web design firm who actually respond to e-mails, answer their phones, and meet in person (via Zoom) has been the best part of working with them.... what a night and day difference from my last web firm. Our new Website looks and functions great and the CMS is easy to manage and update!  If you're looking to update or redesign your site...I highly recommend Lisa and her team at Egami Creative Agency.

I will leave you with this first post with much gratitude for a job well done by Egami, the website creators.  Lisa was wonderful to work with and talk about efficient and fast!  I am thrilled.  Please check them out if you need any design services, she is a consummate professional.
www.egamicreative.com
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Thank you for your time and please feel free to drop me a line.

Mark Jiles
[email protected]