Woman pleads for B.C. government to cover multiple sclerosis drug

A Richmond woman living with MS is pleading with the B.C. government to cover a drug she says has made her condition more manageable.

Cassandra Nieman has lived with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis for nearly a decade.

She told CTV News when she was diagnosed—which happened after she lost her vision in one eye—her life “completely changed.”

“Your vision is your lifeline. It is your way of, you know, experiencing life,” Nieman said. “If you don’t have your vision, what do you have?”

Nieman said after being on the drug Ocrevus, her symptoms became more manageable—but in late 2025, her insurance company informed her it would be putting a $5,000 annual cap on her coverage.

She said the drug can cost around $36,000 a year. Even with approved coverage from a patient assistance program, Nieman said her family would still be facing at least $9,200 out of pocket per year.

“We can’t afford that,” Nieman said. “There is no other option.”

She’s since started a Change.org petition for more extensive coverage of MS medications, which had garnered more than 1,300 signatures as of Thursday.

Nieman said a cheaper medication, Rituxan, is covered, but she fears switching could cause flare ups.

“If I risk that switch, am I going to be able to, you know, see my kids? Is it a chance worth taking? I don’t want to take that,” she said.

Alanah Duffy from MS Canada said British Columbians living with the disease should be concerned that “they have inequitable access to treatment compared to fellow Canadians.”

Ocrevus is “publically covered by all other provinces except for British Columbia,” Duffy explained.

She added that Nieman’s story isn’t unique, and that many B.C. residents are trying to get coverage for Ocrevus.

“We’ve heard from the Ministry of Health that cost effectiveness is a big issue,” she said.

In a statement, the Health Ministry told CTV News it “recognizes living with MS is a daily struggle for both patients and their families” adding that “numerous treatment options for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), with the same clinical effectiveness as Ocrevus are covered by pharmacare.”

Nieman’s message to the government: “Listen to us, see us and hear us. It’s not just one person. There’s hundreds of us who just want the chance of stability.”