Phaedru5

I arrived in BC last week and immediately registered for my health card, so will be eligible for healthcare from the beginning of May (3 months inc this month). My wife and daughter havent arrived yet so have not yet registered them.

I started my job this week and my employer has given me an MSP 'Application for Enrolment' form to complete.

My questions are thus;
1. Do I complete this form now and start paying into MSP or do I wait until I become eligible in May?
2. It asks for spouse and child details. My wife and daughter have not yet arrived so should I include them or not? They will be here at the end of March.
3. Furthermore my wife will be working as a nurse and I believe that as a public servant she gets MSP covered for the family, meaning I wont need to pay into it - is this correct?
4. Even if the above isn't correct, does she fill in a form aswell when she arrives? or if I leave them off she could perhaps fill in a form for just her and our daughter - but isn't it better for us all to be under one plan?
Please help!?

p.s. I see the rules are changing from tomorrow, something about having to go to an ICBC office!?

Aviator

You will be eligible from May 1. You will all be one one plan as a family. The rest of the family can be added once they arrive. To be sure you do this correctly, 1 800 663-7100.

Also register for Fair Pharmacare.

scilly

You have to go to an ICBC office because the MSP card that you have show at all doctor's offices and drug stores, etc is now a Photo ID card that contains all your information encrypted on it.

No photo ID card for anyone under the age of 75, no get service.

The MSP provides basic care, you will also need Extended Health ....... and that is perhaps better left until your wife arrives so you can see what benefits she has under that vs what your employer mught have in their benefit plan (IF they have one.

You will also be wise to take out Dental Health ........ again could be included in your wife's package or yours.

The Extended Health and Dental usually requires the employee to pay some premium

Phaedru5

I have extended health and dental for myself and the family through my employer aswell.

I still dont know if I need to enrol in MSP immediately, or wait until May?
And ref. The card, does everybody now, even existing residents, have to go and get a card from ICBC?

Phaedru5

Hold on, sorry I think I may have already done this; when I arrived I did the online thing to register for healthcare when I become eligible in May.... I think this is the same as this form. But since I did this before 22nd Feb do I still need to get a card from ICBC?

Engineer_abroad

Most employer extended health care providers require that the person is registered for MSP as well. If it is your first application they often send the form out. You can either fill out the form again, at which point MSP will just bin it as you are already registered, or send you provider proof you are already registered i.e. your health card number.

Some employers pay your MSP premiums by the way, and soon they wont exist at all (thanks to NDP)

Aviator

All extended health plans require the insured to have provincial coverage,

This is going to be funded by a 'health tax' to employers on payroll. Long and the short, it will filter back to prices in the stores and we will all pay for it anyway. Add the huge jump in min wage, business taxes the federal govt is imposing, retail prices will be going up to us all.

scilly

1. All Extended Health Plans require that you be enrolled in MSP

If you make a claim, MSP is first line, your Extended Health will be second, and your wife should ALSO join EHP as that will be a third.

For example ............... a hospital stay. MSP covers all costs in hospital EXCEPT for a bed charge. Your EHP will refund at least part of the bed charge.


2. Yes, every resident has had to change over to the new photo card. The only exemption is for people over the age of 75 who do not require the photo ID, but do get a new card issued from MSP in Victoria.

Driver's license will be replaced with the new joint card when it is renewed ....... if I've understood correctly.

This is a new initiative that is supposed to have your information all encoded, plus provide everyone with a photo ID. Some of us don't much like the idea!

Every member of your family will have to have the photo card.

Aviator

Optional, one can have a medical card and drivers license card, or a combined card.

scrubbedexpat091

Healthcare has to be paid for one way or another and people really dont like the MSP premiums and the NDP wad elected in part because MSP premiums were on the their agenda.

If the BC Liberals had not been so bussiness friendly and had not kept adding fees and tolls they may not have lost the election.

Almost Canadian

Who do you think should pay for healthcare then, if not the people that will benefit from it being available?

Snowy560

I don't think any province has an upfront medical premium other than BC. It's very unpopular. That's the issue.

Almost Canadian

Isn't it simply a tax by another name?

Would the residents of BC prefer the amount to be simply added to their income tax?

Snowy560

I think they probably would. The premiums have been reduced this year by 50% but I think many people would like to get rid of them. A lot of people also get them paid by work but it's the usual thing: only a certain type of person (often in a well paid job to begin with) benefits. My husband's company pays half. I suspect those in lower paid jobs don't get that as a benefit. My husband didn't in his last job (small company). I'm mainly self employed so don't get extended benefits or MSP premium paid. Obviously that's okay at this point as the MSP premium is for a family in our case so my husband gets it. I know those whose family income is under a certain amount are exempt but the threshold for exemption is quite a low family income.

I found this which may be slightly out of date:

https://www.morneaushepell.com/ca-en/insights/bc-changes-health-premiums

Aviator

And retail prices will now climb. I know a number of businesses that have decided to close and retire several years earlier than planned. All are employers and jobs will be lost, mostly min wage jobs.

The biggest losers out of this is anyone relying on a fixed income, seniors and people with disabilities in particular. We will all be met with higher prices, but with s fixed income, they have less to go around. The govt. mandated higher wages, higher taxes, but did not step up with corresponding increases in payments to seniors and disabled.

Those who get premium assistance will see no benefit to getting rid of MSP premiums, they will see the higher prices though and have to pay those. This group will be worse off.

Lots of folks are taking a very short sighted view of these changes, thinking oh goody the greedy business people will be taxed more. Higher costs go into the cost of goods, if cost of goods go up, prices rise.

We will see more automation, the higher the wage bills go up, the more cost effective this becomes. This will result in job losses. And so it goes on.