How Do I Permanently Cancel Bc Medical Services Plan

"Effective May 1, 2022, Medical Services Program (MSP) policy will exist updated and then individuals who remain in B.C. with maintained status will have admission to temporary MSP coverage until a decision is made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their application for extension."

See the entire news release and Renewing your MSP below for additional information.

Overview of MSP

British Columbia's Medical Services Plan (MSP) is the provincial public health intendance program that provides basic coverage to residents of BC and generally covers the cost of required medical services. Enrolling in MSP is one of the nigh important things for new residents of BC to do upon arrival. You lot should submit proof to BCIT in one case you have enrolled in MSP in social club to satisfy BCIT's medical insurance requirement.

Review the content on this page and visit MSP for BC Residents for a general overview. Annotation that MSP is not administered by BCIT only rather by Health Insurance BC, who yous may contact if yous have specific questions almost it.

Eligibility for MSP

All residents of BC who stay over six months – including study permit holders – are both eligible and legally required to enrol in MSP when they get in and to maintain coverage throughout their catamenia of residence in BC. For details, see Are you Eligible?

Generally speaking, all international students studying at BCIT are eligible and must enrol in MSP, except for:

Study Abroad and Exchange students coming to study at BCIT for just i term
students completing their studies entirely online from outside of Canada.

Dependent family members of study allow holders are are as well eligible and may be included on the same MSP application.

How to apply for MSP

When you arrive in BC as a new resident, y'all must apply for MSP. The online application only takes a few minutes. However, notation that you volition accept to upload a digital epitome of an clearing certificate such as a study let in order to complete the application. We advise to apply for MSP as soon as you make it in BC and establish residency.

Once you submit your online awarding for MSP, you should immediately see an application confirmation with a reference number. Yous should accept a screenshot of this confirmation for your records, and submit it to BCIT in order to satisfy the medical insurance requirement.

Applications typically take near one month to process. Once yours is completed, you can expect to receive some important mail from Health Insurance BC including a confirmation letter, monthly invoices, and your BC Services Card. Information technology is critically important that you provide the correct mailing address in your awarding and that yous notify Health Insurance BC if y'all motility to a different address.

BC Services Card example — Sample BC Services Card

A BC Services Card is a government-issued ID with your name and Personal Health Number that is generally required to use MSP benefits. Once your MSP awarding has been processed, your BC Services card will be mailed to you lot. This menu volition non take your photo on it, but information technology is possible to subsequently request one with your photograph should you wish to do so. Visit Go a BC Services Card for instructions.

Yous tin can use your BC Services Card for identification purposes throughout Canada and you should bring it with you lot if you demand to visit a doctor or become whatsoever medical treatment. If yous take a non-photograph BC Services Carte du jour yous may likewise demand to evidence boosted photo identification, such as a BCIT ID carte or identification from your home country.

MSP coverage wait period

Be aware that there is a coverage wait period before new (and returning) residents are eligible to use MSP benefits. The wait menstruation consists of the balance of the month in which residence in British Columbia is established, plus two additional calendar months. Make certain to utilize for MSP as early every bit possible since you may NOT be eligible for MSP benefits while your application is in procedure, fifty-fifty if your waiting period is complete.

Information technology is very important that yous have temporary individual medical insurance to cover you lot from the time you go far in BC until you lot are able to be covered by MSP.

BC residents who leave the province for more than 6 months in a calendar twelvemonth may demand to complete another coverage expect period upon render to BC. For more information, encounter Leaving BC Temporarily.

The Authorities of BC has announced that: "Displaced Ukrainians arriving in B.C. with visas issued under the federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) will now take admission to date-of-arrival Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage."

Priyanka'due south instance timeline for MSP

Priyanka arrives in BC with a report permit on August 7, 2022, at which time she becomes a resident of BC. Her MSP coverage expect period is the remainder of August plus all of September and Oct. She applies for MSP during her first calendar week in BC and receives a confirmation letter of the alphabet 6 weeks later informing her that she volition be eligible for MSP benefits starting on November i, 2022 and that her BC Services Card volition be mailed to her soon. She submits proof of MSP enrolment to BCIT as required.

Priyanka has temporary individual medical insurance through Guard.me for the months of August, September, and October; in case she were to demand whatever medical treatment during that fourth dimension and also to satisfy BCIT'south medical insurance requirement.

Priyanka in this case is a fictional example, simply this is a very typical MSP timeline for new arrivals to BC.

Submitting proof of MSP enrolment to BCIT

Transport an e-mail to international.medical@bcit.ca with your name, educatee number, and proof of having enrolled in MSP, such equally ane of the following:

a screenshot of your online application confirmation with reference number
a clear photograph of your valid BC Services Carte
a clear photo of an official letter from Health Insurance BC that shows your name and confirms your MSP coverage

Annotation that international students are required to have medical insurance coverage throughout your studies at BCIT. Failure to provide proof of MSP enrolment could outcome in you being blocked from registering for BCIT courses and also ineligible for any International Letter of Verification.

MSP monthly fee for international students

The MSP Health fee for international students of all ages is $75 per calendar month. Once you are enrolled, Health Insurance BC will transport invoices to you past post and yous will be responsible for submitting payment. See Question and Answers: Health fee for international students [PDF] for more data.

If you graduate from BCIT or terminate studying in BC completely, you should provide notification to Health Insurance BC so that they tin stop billing you the monthly fee for international students. To do this, follow the next steps after completing studies.

Renewing your MSP coverage

This content is aimed at students extending their study permit. See Next steps after completing studies for information pertaining to students who are graduating and applying for a PGWP.

MSP coverage typically expires on the same twenty-four hour period as your study allow. You may renew your MSP coverage past uploading your new study allow to update your condition in Canada in your MSP account.

Temporary coverage through maintained status

The Regime of BC has announced: "Effective May 1, 2022, Medical Services Plan (MSP) policy volition be updated then individuals who remain in B.C. with maintained condition will accept admission to temporary MSP coverage until a conclusion is made past Clearing, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their application for extension."

While the full details of this new policy are yet to be laid out, this is skillful news for international students!

For the time being nosotros advise you to contact Health Insurance BC to request for temporary MSP coverage equally soon every bit y'all have submitted your report permit extension application.

Besides, update your MSP account with:

the official IRCC receipt from your report permit extension application (dated prior to your previous study allow expiry date to demonstrate your maintained status), and
your new study let once you receive information technology so that your MSP tin can exist formally extended and you lot can exist issued a new BC Services Card.

Managing your MSP business relationship

You are responsible for managing your account and keeping all of you personal information up to date.

You need notify Wellness Insurance BC if:

Your bones personal information or mailing accost needs to be updated or corrected
You need to add or remove a spouse or children
Your status in Canada changes (for instance, if you receive a report let extension, a post-graduation piece of work let, permanent resident status, or Canadian citizenship)
You are planning to leave BC permanently (or temporarily if you will be absent from BC for six months or more during a agenda year)

You may contact Wellness Insurance BC straight if necessary.

Next steps after completing studies

If you graduate from BCIT and plan to stay in BC with a new immigration condition (such as applying for a PGWP)

The Government of BC has announced: "Constructive May 1, 2022, Medical Services Plan (MSP) policy volition be updated and then individuals who remain in B.C. with maintained status will take access to temporary MSP coverage until a decision is made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on their application for extension."

While the full details of this new policy are yet to be laid out, this is good news for international graduates!

For the time beingness we advise you lot to contact Health Insurance BC to request for temporary MSP coverage equally shortly as you take submitted your awarding for a post-graduation piece of work permit (or other new status in Canada).

Also, update your MSP account with:

the receipt of your IRCC application submission for your new permit dated prior to your study permit expiry appointment (to demonstrate your maintained status),
a copy of your International Confirmation of Graduation letter to demonstrate that y'all are no longer enrolled as an international educatee (and so that you will no longer exist billed the $75-per-month international health fee for MSP), and
a copy of your PGWP (or other immigration status certificate) once you receive it so that your MSP tin can be formally extended and you tin be issued a new BC Services Menu.

Notation that unlike for study permit holders, individuals holding a valid PGWP are not billed any monthly fee for MSP.

If you don't programme to stay in the province

Yous should notify Health Insurance BC that you programme to leave BC permanently and then that they can stop your account and finish billing yous.

If you lot withdraw from your program at BCIT without graduating but programme to stay in BC with a new immigration status (such as a visitor record)

You may request an International Confirmation of Enrolment letter to confirm that you are no longer enrolled at BCIT which y'all may provide to Health Insurance BC to request that they finish billing you. In your letter request, make sure to mention in the Additional notes that yous are no longer enrolled at BCIT and that you lot need this regarding your MSP account.