live to ski

We have been messed around a lot by MSP over here in Vancouver.

Short story is....

- we moved apartments in April 2007 and wrote to everyone including MSP telling them of our new address

- old work permits and MSP cards expired in Sept 07 when we went on to implied status

- got new work permits in Oct 07 but were told by MSP that we had to get OH employer to give them updated info

- phoned in Dec 07 to ask where new MSP cards were, told "they were in the post"

- wrote in January and March 08 to ask for where MSP cards were, and also inform of new PR status.

- got frustrated and spent most of yesterday on the phone to MSP with an automated system that didn't understand my accent.


It turns out that OH employer didn't update our new address in April 07, so when they contacted MSP in Oct 07 for our new cards, they used our old address and MSP "updated" our address back to our old one.

So despite me putting our current address on all correspondence, MSP have been writing to our old address and this was not flagged.

1) Are there any rules, laws etc. in Canada that mean that MSP should not have "updated" our address without our authority. If so who should I complain to.

2) Should I be worried that our previous landlord (who I don't trust) or current tenants have our MSP cards and letters with our name, address and MSP numbers on them?

mandymoochops

Unfortunately it would seem that Mr LTS employers are at fault here as they ultimately were the ones responsible for giving the correct details. On this basis your MSP file was as you say "updated" with your old address.

The best thing to do would be to write a letter of complaint enclosing copies of previous letters clearly showing the new address details and basically putting the fear of god into them, by implying that they have breached your rights to privacy, send a copy of the letter to these guys too


Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Place De Ville
Tower B, 3rd Floor
112 Kent Street
Ottawa
ON
K1A 1H3

Call: 1-800-282-1376

Responsible for people upholding privacy laws!

dingbat

1.) Ha ha - you will discover that you have no privacy rights when it comes to MSP. They even added my ex's premium arrears to my account three years after we divorced, on the basis of a phone call from him. MSP also removed my youngest son from coverage, without any information, phone call or authority from me. "Someone" told them to do it "by phone".

2.) Yes - get a print out of billing activity using your MSP number. I say get one, I meant try and get one.

MB-Realtor

If all else fails:

Get the Post Office to Divert your mail, they will do it for 6 months, they charge of course.

daft batty

http://www.oipc.bc.ca/

These are the people you need if you live in BC. There is Provincial Privacy Legislation so you should start there,not with the Federal

live to ski

Great - thanks guys. I'll see where I get with these.