Health benefits can be government programs and/or private insurance plans that cover the cost or subsidize the cost of your medical and health services such as prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, and registered therapists.
Tips & Links
- In BC, the medical services plan (MSP) covers the cost of medically necessary health care services for residents of the province.
- Learn more about what MSP covers at Healthlink BC including physician visits, hospital stays, medically required surgical and diagnostic procedures, and some preventative care services.
- Learn about what MSP does not cover, including prescription drugs, dental care, and optometry services. It is up to you to purchase private health benefits unless you have employer-sponsored coverage for these services.
- Learn if your pension provides any health benefits, what is available to you and for how long. Once you retire, your health benefits may become your responsibility.
- It is important to include your health benefits as part of your My Financial Plan as you age. Post retirement seniors (65 years and older) often have increased need for dental, vision, and specialty health care. It is essential to plan for these services to maintain your health and functioning.
- Learn how to use Fair PharmaCare to help cover prescription drug costs. It helps cover the costs of your eligible prescription medications based on your income.
- Check out PharmaCare to see if it covers costs of medical supplies and devices you might need.
- Plan ahead for dental costs by learning about by dental fees and services from the BC Dental Association.
- Explore available MSP Supplementary Benefits for low-income seniors to help cover the costs of services not included in MSP, such as massage, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and others.
- Be aware of what happens to your MSP health coverage when travelling or living outside of the province and the need to purchase additional travel insurance.
- Learn about special health benefits for First Nations people in BC from FNHA.
Tools – Handouts & Videos
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