Ruling for health card for baby born in BC
- Thread starter smk_ujs
- Start date
smk_ujs said:
It depends on the reason mom and dad don't have MSP.
If they are both just here on visitor status so don't qualify at all for MSP, then baby will not qualify for MSP either.
If they are here as newly landed PRs and still in waiting period but will eventually get MSP, then baby will be eligible for MSP from birth.
Rob_TO said:
Can you provide the source please?
As far as I know, a child's isn't covered if neither of the parents have coverage.
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/health-drug-coverage/medical-services-plan/bc-residents/msp-brochure.pdf
Looks like they advise having alternate insurance on arrival until the benefits apply. Doesn't cover if a newborn has coverage or not. I doubt the parents would have any coverage for the birth until the waiting period is over, so they would have to pay for the delivery. Can't determine from this if the baby has coverage once delivered. I'm imagine it's done on a case by case basis.
Looks like they advise having alternate insurance on arrival until the benefits apply. Doesn't cover if a newborn has coverage or not. I doubt the parents would have any coverage for the birth until the waiting period is over, so they would have to pay for the delivery. Can't determine from this if the baby has coverage once delivered. I'm imagine it's done on a case by case basis.
canuck_in_uk said:
The parents are PRs and qualify for coverage, they are just in the waiting period. Common sense says that since they are PRs and intend to reside full time in BC afterwards, the Canadian newborn child will have MSP from birth.
I believe not giving healthcare to a newborn is for situation when parents are visitors so don't qualify at all, and will not be residing in Canada permanently afterwards.
Of course easiest way to confirm for sure is just to call MSP and ask.
Rob_TO said:
The website and the forms all pertain to adding the child to a parent's already existing MSP account where the fees are being paid. A baby can't be added to an account that doesn't yet exist and as far as the MSP website states, can't be given their own account.
canuck_in_uk said:
Yes that is the most common way to do it. Other provinces have exceptions for newborns that will cover them upon birth as long as the parents intend to make that province their permanent residence. BC may have the same rule even if it's not explicitly stated on their website. This was standard in BC (also they didn't used to require a parents MSP info upon birth) up to a few years ago before MSP system went through some changes.
Really I would just call the MSP people, and simply ask them. Again it's just common sense that says BC should provide coverage to Canadian citizen babies upon birth when parents are permanent residents of BC.
There is also an appeals process to request an exemption someone from the wait period, if BC MSP in fact doesn't already do this for newborns.
