The Medical Services Plan (MSP) is the BC provincial government’s medical insurance plan and is administered by Health Insurance BC.
All eligible BC residents and their dependents must enrol in MSP, which pays for the medically required services of physicians and surgeons, hospital services, as well as dental and oral surgery when it is medically required to be performed in a hospital.
To be eligible to enrol in UBC’s Extended Health Plan, you must be eligible and enrolled in the Medical Services Plan of BC or another Canadian public health plan. UBC’s Extended Health Plan, provides you with coverage for medical services and expenses that are not covered by MSP, such as prescription drugs, vision care and more.
How do I enrol in MSP?
If you are a resident of British Columbia, you must enrol in MSP. By law, MSP is mandatory for all eligible residents and their dependents. If you are coming to UBC from outside of BC or Canada, see the section below.
Information on how to apply for MSP is available through the Medical Services Plan website.
What is the proof of coverage?
Your BC Services Card is proof of your MSP enrolment. Your BC Services Card contains your 9 digit personal health number.
If you are new to BC and Canada, once you are enrolled for MSP you will receive a notice that explains how you and your family members can get your BC Services Card (with photo).
If you have temporary immigration status, you will receive a BC Services Card (non-photo) in the mail.
Present your BC Services Card when obtaining physician and hospital services.
What are the MSP premiums?
There are no monthly premiums for MSP.
Coming to UBC from outside of BC or Canada
If you are coming to UBC from outside of BC (and within Canada) or outside Canada, you and your eligible dependents must complete a waiting period for MSP. The waiting period consists of the balance of the month in which residence in British Columbia is established, plus two months. Generally, the date residence is established is the date of arrival in BC, however this is determined by the Ministry of Health based on a number of factors, including the type of immigration status held. For more information, visit the Medical Services Plan website.
If you are coming to BC from another Canadian province or territory, you should maintain your coverage with your former provincial medical plan during this MSP waiting period. This will ensure you are covered for any medically necessary physician and hospital services by your former province as you wait for your MSP coverage to start.
If you are coming to BC from outside of Canada, you should arrange for private coverage during the MSP waiting period. Faculty and staff employed or appointed by the university from outside Canada can purchase private coverage during the waiting period through the David Cummings Insurance Services (DCIS) or Sun Life. Learn more about private coverage.
Work permit renewals and MSP coverage
Guidance for Work Permit Renewals and Medical Services Plan Coverage
This information was updated in November 2024
If you work in British Columbia under a work permit and you are enrolled in the Medical Services Plan (MSP), your MSP coverage will end at the end of the month that your work permit expires unless you are approved for temporary MSP coverage. If your MSP coverage ends, it will be reinstated upon receipt of your new work permit.
For this reason, it is imperative that you apply for your new work permit well in advance.
If you are applying for a new work permit, it is important that you apply as far in advance of the expiry date of your current work permit as possible. This will avoid a lapse in MSP coverage and ensure that you can legally continue to work for UBC. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website (IRCC) provides the current processing time for a work permit extension (same employer) whether submitting the application online or by paper.
Once you receive your new work permit, please send a copy of your new work permit to your Department Administrator and Health Insurance BC (HIBC).
Depending on your work permit renewal status, the following three situations may apply:
You receive your new work permit prior to the expiry of your old work permit.
Your MSP and Extended Health coverage is continuous. Please send a copy of your new work permit to HIBC.
Your work permit has expired and you have Maintained Status while you wait for your new work permit.
Your MSP coverage will end at the end of the month that your work permit expires. You will need to contact HIBC to request temporary MSP coverage. If approved, your MSP and Extended Health coverage is continuous.
If your request for temporary MSP coverage is denied, your Extended Health can continue for up to 90 days while on Maintained Status. This also applies to your eligible dependents.
We recommend that you purchase private coverage if you have not been approved for temporary MSP coverage and have a pre-existing condition, are pregnant (or your spouse is) or anticipate that you and/or your dependents will obtain doctor and/or hospital services and you do not want to wait until your new work permit is issued in order to be reimbursed.
Please contact Janet McHugh at janet.mchugh@ubc.ca or 604-822-6823 for further details or to arrange for coverage. If you purchase private coverage, you can request through HIBC that your MSP coverage is reinstated using the first of the month that your work permit issuance date falls under, rather than retroactive to the date it originally ended.
If you are on Maintained Status and your current work permit has expired, you should not travel outside Canada. If you do leave Canada, Maintained Status ends immediately, and you no longer have status to work in Canada. You must cease work and UBC must cease paying you until you can provide a valid work permit. For more information, visit the IRCC website.
Your work permit has expired and you no longer have status to work in Canada because you have either not applied for your work permit prior to the expiry of your previous one, your Maintained Status has ended or IRCC has indicated you must apply for Restoration of Status.
You may not perform work for UBC and your salary will cease. Your MSP coverage will end at the end of the month that your work permit expires. Once a new work permit has been issued HIBC will review your new work permit and determine when your MSP coverage will start.
Your Extended Health coverage will end when your MSP coverage ends. This also applies to your eligible dependents. You will need to waive your Extended Health Plan coverage through Workday. You will then need to re-enrol in the Extended Health Plan through Workday once your MSP has been reinstated.
- For these situations, there will be a lapse in MSP coverage. You must purchase private coverage during this time, otherwise, you will be out-of-pocket for any doctor and hospital services you and/or your dependents receive during this time. Please contact Janet McHugh at janet.mchugh@ubc.ca or 604-822-6823 for further details or to arrange for coverage.
- Provide a copy of your new work permit to your Department Administrator and HIBC as soon as possible.
- HIBC will review your new work permit and determine when your MSP coverage will start. It may start the first of the month of your work permit issuance date or HIBC may require that you serve another waiting period. HIBC will inform you of their decision in writing.
- Note that if you are without status you may not perform any work for UBC.
Questions?
If you have any questions about renewing your work permit, please contact your Department or Faculty administrator.
If you have any questions about your MSP enrolment, please contact Health Insurance BC directly at 604-683-7151.
Temporary absences from BC
The BC Medical Services Plan requires that individuals be physically present in BC for at least six months of the calendar year to maintain their coverage under the plan.
However, you can still be covered by MSP if you are absent from BC for:
- a total absence of seven months per calendar year for vacation purposes under certain conditions; or
- temporary extended absences of up to 24 months once in a 60-month period for work or vacation.
It is up to you to seek approval for coverage from the BC Medical Services Plan if you are going to be absent from BC for more than six months of a calendar year. Learn more about temporary absences from BC.
Maintaining Your MSP Account
UBC does not administer MSP under a group plan. You are responsible for keeping your MSP account up-to-date and requesting changes. Notify Health Insurance BC directly if you need to change or update any of the following details:
- Your address
- Your personal information, or information for other individuals on your account (e.g. name, date of birth, or gender)
- To add and/or remove a spouse, including common-law partner or child(ren)
- Your status in Canada (e.g. new work permit, study permit, or confirmation of permanent residence).
Continued Enrolment in MSP for Dependents Aged 19-24
When your dependent child reaches age 19, you are required to either confirm your child’s student status for them to continue to be eligible as a dependent under your MSP coverage or your child will need to setup coverage for MSP under their own account.
To confirm your child’s student status for them to continue under your MSP coverage, you will need to go through the Medical Services Plan – Account Management system. You will need your individual MSP account number and the group number for self-administered accounts. Please contact Health Insurance BC at 1-800-663-7100 for the group number for self-administered accounts and your individual account number if you do not know it.
If your child needs to setup coverage for MSP under their own account, they will need to follow the steps on How to Apply for MSP. Once completed, your child will need to book an appointment with ICBC for a new BC Services Photo Card at 1-800-663-3051 and also register for Fair Pharmacare.
Advantages of a dependent child age 19 or over having MSP coverage under their own account include the child having a photo ID without requiring a driver’s license and having a lower Fair Pharmacare deductible.