Our experience with BC Medical Services Plan / CareCard

[doctorkb]

As others here have voiced surprise at us having received the BC CareCard prior to landing (actually, even prior to PR approval), here is our story:

1. visitor from June to Sept, 2010 (stamped passport)
2. married in US Oct 14.
3. visitor record issued from Oct 16-Dec30 (after wedding -- planned departure in early Dec for trip to Maui)
4. passport stamped Dec30 without an additional date (implied June 2011)

We applied for the CareCard in October per BC MSP call centre rep (falsely) telling me that her immigration status wouldn't matter as soon as we were married, she was eligible.  In Nov, we get a request for proof of status in BC.  Since we were leaving in two weeks, it made more sense to get the December stamp, then send in details.  I submitted the past records and the December 30 stamp in January, along with the receipt of having mailed the package to CIC.

In February, they replied asking for any information we have received from CIC regarding the sponsorship approval.  I submitted a photocopy of the sponsorship approval letter.

Nothing more was heard from them until the end of March, when the Carecard magically arrived in the mail.  The page it was adhered to mentioned the eligibility date of April 1, while the card itself is has the words "call before expiry" and is stamped with "06/11" below that.

There are no details on how soon before expiry we need to call, nor whether the expiry is June 1, June 31 or somewhere in between.  I'm hoping that we have received PR by then and can just submit a copy of the COPR to get it extended indefinitely like most CareCards are.

Strangely, they decided her eligibility date was April 1.  We're not concerned as there have been no treatment-required medical services in the past while, though we do believe that the eligibility date SHOULD have been Jan 1.  If we had any medical expenses during that time, I probably would have appealed it.

[angelbrat]

I believe MSP have made a mistake. Even when I got my COPR, it was a terrible time trying to convince MSP I was now a PR.

If I was you, I would just be quiet and pay the premiums....LOL.....and by the way, the care card means nothing if payment is not received.

My Canadian born step daughter is having this issue right now. She should be exempt due to low income but MSP have not got their records up to date, as she has turned 19. Meanwhile, even with her care card and birth cert, she is unable to access medical care unless it is an emergency.

[doctorkb]

I don't think they have.

If the new spouse is from another province, they aren't subject to the usual 3-month waiting period that new BC residents usually are.

Of course, this was the addition of my wife to my existing BC MSP account.  I don't know if you were starting a new account because your spouse's contributions are covered by his employer, or if your circumstances are the same as ours.

And that's a very interesting situation with your step daughter, as I know someone who is several YEARS behind with her premiums, and still has no problem getting medical care.

[TreeLover]

doctorkb,

which form did you use to add your wife to your BC MSP plan?  I noticed the online form for adding a spouse to your account says it's necessary to input the carecard number for the spouse you are adding (which would be me).  Since I've never had BC care, I don't have one and that is something the online form says you need to enter.  Do I enter all 0's or do I need to fill out the form 102fil.pdf to apply for my own account first and then later be added to my partner's account?  I called them and they said I should be added to my partner's account as his spouse, but this was a few weeks ago before I really looked at the form closely.  I understand some people will have a carecard number if are in a new relationship but have lived already in BC, and others might have one from another province, but as a new immigrant (I just landed today), I don't have one.  I guess we could mail it in (and put N/A for the carecard number), but I thought it would be faster to do it online (although I still have to mail in copies of documents also).   The form for applying for my own account asks if you have had a carecard before and you can reply no. 

They told me over the phone I wouldn't have to wait for coverage since I have been "living" in BC since October 2010, which I can prove with a lease, bank statements, etc. (and a copy of the old visitor record, which they took out of my passport when I landed).  But I won't trust that answer until it actually happens. 

[doctorkb]

The form I use has "HLTH 203 v1" marked in the lower right corner of the page.  The title is "MSP Account Change" in the upper right of the first page.

Here's the link:

https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/msp/203fil.pdf

[TreeLover]

I just wanted to rant at the BC MSP here as I'm just so annoyed with them.  I landed April 21, 2011 and still have no health card although my eligibility date should, at the very latest, be July 1.  I may be able to get it earlier (which at this point is moot) since I was actually living here since October (they told me this was possible), but even just from my landing date, it should be July 1.  So....I thought maybe it was stuck in the mail because of the strike, so I called to check on it and they said I was not in their system.  They did verify I would be eligible July 1 (I didn't ask about earlier since, well, it's almost July 1 now).  Then they said that if I incurred medical expenses then I would have to pay out of pocket and they MAY or MAY NOT (their words exactly) reimburse me.  What kind of crap is that?  Why does it take more than two months to add me to their system?  They can't even tell me if I'd be reimbursed for expenses before receiving the card, so that means I have to pay for private insurance until I get it.  Just in case something happens.  Well, that sucks.    Well, at least it's cheaper for insurance than in the US.  Only plus with that.  But I really shouldn't be paying anything! 

[Eswiz]

I have a carecard already as I am here in BC with a study permit.

When my first study permit expired they would not renew my medical until my new study permit came. In the mean time I had to take my son down to the ER.

The ER then sent me a bill, but once my new study permit came through BC medical backdated my medical as far as I asked and that covered the ER bill.

They will treat you here without medical, but they will just send you the bill. This is also true of regular doctor appointments here.

Because of a mix up with my medical I owe them $500. They still cover my doctors costs, they are just chasing me for the $500 and are happy to wait until I can make an arrangement to pay.

They are very, very slow at doing things and when I did have to send in the details of my new study permit they lost it and I had to send it again.  However, I wouldn't worry about it because they back date everything anyway.

[TreeLover]

So they did reimburse you for some of it, but not the $500?  I'm wondering if that is what they are talking about.  They said it depends on what it is, whether they reimburse or not.  The fact that they couldn't tell me either yes or no is what annoyed me.  I feel like I'm just wasting money to pay for private insurance another month, but that is certainly cheaper than having to pay a higher amount if something happened and I needed medical care and they decided not to reimburse me. 

Also, I wonder if they were more likely to reimburse if you were in their system before (since you had a card, but then it expired).

I heard from someone else too that they are slow.  An international student and she said it took over 3 months to get her card.

Interesting that they sent you a bill when you didn't have a card.  I did go to a walk-in clinic once, just a week or so after I landed and they made me pay $120 in cash.  When I called, they said it would be $70, but when I arrived they told me $70 was only for Canadians without health cards.  I said I was a permanent resident and they asked for my PR card, which I didn't have (and still don't have), so they made me pay the "foreigner fee."  They didn't care about the stapled COPR in my passport. 

[Eswiz]

So they did reimburse you for some of it, but not the $500?  I'm wondering if that is what they are talking about.  They said it depends on what it is, whether they reimburse or not.  The fact that they couldn't tell me either yes or no is what annoyed me.  I feel like I'm just wasting money to pay for private insurance another month, but that is certainly cheaper than having to pay a higher amount if something happened and I needed medical care and they decided not to reimburse me.

The $500 was partly my fault. My partner thought he'd put me on his insurance and that his boss was paying the premiums. However she had refused because "she didn't want to pay for that foreigner and her kids". Because it took them so long to tell me I had not paid for about 4 months. 

Also, I wonder if they were more likely to reimburse if you were in their system before (since you had a card, but then it expired).

That might be it, because I gave them his carecard number at the time.

I heard from someone else too that they are slow.  An international student and she said it took over 3 months to get her card.

Interesting that they sent you a bill when you didn't have a card.  I did go to a walk-in clinic once, just a week or so after I landed and they made me pay $120 in cash.  When I called, they said it would be $70, but when I arrived they told me $70 was only for Canadians without health cards.  I said I was a permanent resident and they asked for my PR card, which I didn't have (and still don't have), so they made me pay the "foreigner fee."  They didn't care about the stapled COPR in my passport. 

Once you get your carecard number you may be able to get them to reimburse you for this. Just don't expect them to be quick.