Medical Services Plan (MSP) supplementary benefits provide partial payment for certain medical services obtained in British Columbia and may provide access to other income-based programs. MSP supplementary benefits support the following services from approved providers:
Those who may be eligible for MSP coverage of these supplementary benefit services include:
For these MSP beneficiaries, MSP contributes $23 per visit for a combined annual limit of 10 visits each calendar year for the following services from approved providers: acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, naturopathy, physical therapy and non-surgical podiatry. MSP does not provide any coverage for supplementary benefits received outside of the province.
Note: Many supplementary benefits practitioners are opted-out of the MSP. This means they are allowed to charge patients more for a service than is set out in the Payment Schedule.
Opted-out practitioners (for all supplementary benefits service providers) must advise their patients, prior to the treatment being performed, that they have opted out; how much is reimbursed by MSP; and how much the patient will be paying in addition to the MSP fee.
To be eligible for Supplementary Benefits, you must:
Eligibility for Supplementary Benefits is based on your net income from last year as confirmed by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) (or combined net income for you and your spouse), less deductions for:
The amount left is called "adjusted net income." If it is less than $42,000, your family may qualify for Supplementary Benefits.
You only need to apply once if you:
Eligibility for Supplementary Benefits may be impacted if you do not file your taxes each year with CRA or if you do not update your MSP account if you marry or begin living in a marriage-like relationship. For information on combining or linking accounts, see Adding and Removing Dependants.
Application for Supplementary Benefits includes giving permission to CRA to release Notice of Assessment or Notice of Reassessment information for you (and your spouse if applicable) to the Ministry of Health and/or Health Insurance BC. We will continue to verify your income each year and assess your eligibility automatically. To avoid losing your eligibility or having to reapply, make sure to file your taxes each year.
Using one form, the BC Application for Health and Drug Coverage allows you and your family to apply for:
MSP enrolment must be complete for you (and your spouse, if applicable) to qualify for Supplementary Benefits. You can apply for MSP enrolment, Supplementary Benefits and Fair PharmaCare y submitting a complete BC Application for Health and Drug Coverage (online or print form). If you are deemed to be eligible for MSP coverage, you must obtain a Photo BC Services Card by visiting a BC driver licensing office. You can book an appointment to visit an ICBC driver licensing office at a location and time that suits you. For more information, please visit icbc.com/appointment. If you are unable to make an appointment, walk-in services are available at all ICBC driver licensing locations. Check the ICBC website for office hours at your desired location. For more information, visit Eligibility and Enrolment.
Once your enrolment in MSP is complete, your application for Supplementary Benefits will be processed.
Apply for Supplementary Benefits and Fair PharmaCare by submitting a BC Application for Health and Drug Coverage (online or print form), completing the required sections. You do not need to re-apply for MSP enrolment.
Income verification: The application process includes giving permission to CRA to release Notice of Assessment or Notice of Reassessment information for you (and your spouse if applicable) to the Ministry of Health and/or Health Insurance BC. We will continue to verify your income each year and assess your eligibility automatically. To avoid losing your eligibility or having to reapply, make sure to file your taxes each year.
The data you enter will be saved locally to the computer or device you are using up until the point that you close your browser window or submit the form.
Before you start, make sure that:
Note: you must apply using the print BC Application for Health and Drug Coverage if you have a spouse who lives and earns income outside British Columbia.
You can also apply by mail using a paper application form found at BC Application for Health and Drug Coverage.
Mail the completed application form along with copies of a Notice of Assessment or Reassessment from CRA for you (and your spouse):
Health Insurance BC
Medical Services Plan
PO Box 9677 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria BC V8W 9P7
If you qualify for Supplementary Benefits, you will be eligible to claim reimbursement for covered services from January 1 to December 31 of the year in which you qualify.
If you do not qualify, you will continue to be responsible for payment for the services.
Based on your income tax information from the CRA, your eligibility for Supplementary Benefits may change. For example, if your net income for the previous year was higher than usual (e.g., you cashed in RRSPs), it could affect your eligibility for Supplementary Benefits for a period of time.
If your tax return has been reassessed and you think this might change your eligibility, send a copy of the Notice of Reassessment for you (and your spouse if applicable) to Health Insurance BC. If you don’t think the information about your Notice of Assessment or Notice of Reassessment from CRA is correct, contact Health Insurance BC.
Under Healthy Kids, families deemed eligible for Supplementary Benefits may be eligible for basic dental treatment, optical care, and hearing assistance through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
Fair PharmaCare helps B.C. residents with eligible costs of prescriptions and certain medical supplies. For more information or to register, visit.
Medically required eye examinations are a benefit for all MSP beneficiaries when there is a medical necessity (for example, eye disease, trauma or injury, or health conditions associated with significant risk to the eyes, such as diabetes).
However, routine eye examinations are a benefit only for those 18 years of age and under and 65 years of age and over. Optometrists are permitted to charge patients over and above what is payable by the Medical Services Plan for this service, as is the case with all supplementary health services.
Surgical podiatry services are a benefit for all beneficiaries. However, if a podiatrist is opted out, he/she may charge patients more than is insured by MSP.
Patients receiving surgical podiatry services may be responsible for:
All opted-out Supplementary Benefits practitioners must inform patients of the additional charges prior to services being performed.
Children in low and moderate income families may be eligible for basic dental and vision care coverage through the Ministry of Social Development & Poverty Reduction.
If you have questions about what services are covered by MSP, contact Health Insurance BC for more information.