contributed
Amendments to the Medicare Protection Act will allow British Columbians who take long-term vacations out of the province to stay on holidays for an extra period of time.
“The Canadian Snowbird Association requested that we extend the six-month residency requirement for Medical Services Plan coverage. Our government listened to them, and we are making the change to permit more flexibility,” said Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid.
The maximum time a resident can stay out of the province without losing coverage is six months.
It is proposed that a new regulation will allow B.C. residents who are outside of Canada for holidays for six months to have an additional 30 day absence and still maintain their MSP beneficiary status.
Under the Medicare Protection Act, residents must enrol in MSP in order to become beneficiaries of the health-care system. Anyone who no longer meets residency requirements will have their MSP enrolment cancelled and will no longer have insured health services.