As of July 1, 2017, BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) is no longer offering extension of coverage to foreign workers whose work permit has expired, even if they produce evidence of having “implied status” according to Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) while waiting on their new immigration document. “Implied Status” refers to a foreign worker’s status when they have applied for a new work permit (or work permit extension) PRIOR TO the expiry of their current permit and are awaiting a decision and new immigration document from CIC.
Prior to July 1, 2017 MSP offered residents with evidence of “implied status” up to two 3-month extensions of MSP coverage. Proof of “implied status” formerly accepted by MSP included a receipt of application to CIC for a work permit extension, dated prior to the expiry date of the current work permit. Going forward, MSP coverage will strictly terminate on the expiry date of the work permit on file at Health Insurance BC/MSP, and a re-enrolment may only be administered after a foreign worker submits to MSP a new satisfactory immigration document.
The new direction for work permit holders at the MSP website may be found in the “Managing Your MSP Account” section, under the heading “Renewing Your Work Permit.”
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/managing-your-msp-account/renewing-your-work-permit
It is our understanding that MSP coverage will not necessarily be seamlessly reinstated upon submission of a new immigration status document. It can depend on the type of new document and effective dates of the new immigration document, relative to the expired document. For instance, if the new immigration document indicates that the person’s status has been restored after a period without status (rather than a typical permit extension with no gap between the expiry date of the old permit and effective date of the new permit) then the person could face a new 3-month waiting period for MSP coverage as opposed to having “continuous coverage.”
Due to the very high cost of hospital and medical services for “Un-insured Residents” and “Non Residents,” we strongly recommend that foreign workers who anticipate a period of residence in BC with “implied status” arrange for interim (private) medical coverage before the expiry date of their current work permit – i.e. before MSP coverage terminates.
At DCIS we offer a range of short term emergency medical plans for Canada. A free quotation and plan recommendation are available from our team of licensed insurance brokers.