Foreign Students Required to Pay Health Care Cost in British Columbia

Starting from 1^st September, the British Columbia enforces international students to pay for the health care cost. The B.C. Health Minister, Adrian Dix mentioned earlier that for 30 years the government had given a good amount of money to provide hem a good health coverage.

But as time gone by this had become a way to much on the government, so they are asking the foreign students to help pay for it. Currently, the medicals service plans of  B.C. provide a health insurance plan. Anyone who will be living in B.C. for six months or more have to enroll and pay in the plan’s premium, this includes the foreign students.

MSP Payments

The MSP covers all the basic medical care that the person needs, in most cases you will not have to pay for any medical bill that you will receive once you show them the B.C. Service card. The thing is that it doesn’t cover any dental care, prescription drugs, routine vision care (such as eye examinations or corrective lenses).

Currently, post-secondary students pay $37.50 per month in the premium; they used to pay $75 before they cut it in half. Kids starting from kindergarten to twelve grades don’t pay anything in the premium.

Now after the update, the provincial insurance premiums will be eliminated on 1^st, January 2020. So as it will be eliminated, the students in K-12 and post-secondary students will a monthly health care fee of $37.50.

Apply for the Plan

To apply to this plan you will have to apply after living in B.C. for 6 months, and you will be able to start using it in 3 months time after you apply, but you will need to reapply for the plan if you live out of the province for 6 months time.

International Students

Ontario and Quebec have the largest number of incoming international students and local students that are not covered in their public health care plans.

Dix said that they have an exceptional health-care system in B.C. and that they need it to stay fair to everyone that lives in the province, so they need everyone to pay equally.

40k of International Students not Paying

There are up to 40,000 international students who have not yet paid for public health care at NBC. In 2018, and after the announcement of the new health care fee, approximately 90,000 international students currently enrolled in MSP will still be required to pay fees.

The government predicts that this will increase its income to approximately $70 millions in a year, but the problem is that of how many students are enrolled in the plan.

The government also claims that the students who are not enrolled in the MSP will have to pay a large hospital bill even more than they have to pay to enroll in the plan, so if they are able to pay for the bill they will be able to get themselves in the plan and almost no pay at all.

So, according to Dix, the new policy will help the government to take better care of the students, while students will help the Government reasonably to cover the health care expenses maintaining a perfect balance.