British Columbia Medical Services Plan Enrollment

The BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) provides coverage for the medically required services of physicians and surgeons as well as medically required dental or oral surgery when performed in a hospital. All residents of BC and their dependents who meet the eligibility requirements must enroll for MSP either directly or through a group plan to ensure access to public medical services in BC.

UBC offers MSP enrollment through a group plan as part of the Benefits package for Staff and Faculty. Eligibility requirements for MSP must be met, as well as the benefits eligibility requirements of the UBC employee group in which the employee is hired.

There are instances where a UBC employee may not want to enroll in UBC’s group MSP coverage. Those who are already enrolled as a dependent under a spouse’s or partner’s plan, or who are eligible for MSP Premium Assistance, may find it more economically beneficial to not join UBC’s group MSP coverage. As the UBC plan is an optional benefit, employees who decide to not join when first hired, can later decide to do so in the future as long as the MSP and UBC employee group eligibility requirements continue to be met.

Tip: Individuals in BC are required to enroll in one MSP plan, either through their employer, spouse or partner’s employer, or directly. Here are some ways you can minimize your monthly MSP contribution:

• If you have a spouse or partner, check to make sure that you and your spouse/partner are enrolled in only one MSP plan as a couple (2 individuals). Unlike Extended Health and Dental Care where it is to your advantage to enroll in both plans to maximize coverage, you only need to enroll in one MSP plan. To find out whether you are enrolled in the UBC MSP, sign on to the UBC Faculty and Self-Service Portal and click view Benefit Enrollments under myBenefits. It is more economical to enroll as a couple, rather than two individuals, since the couple rate is slightly lower.
• If you have a family, check to see that your family is enrolled in one MSP plan. Unlike Extended Health and Dental Care where it is to your advantage to enroll in both plans to maximize coverage, you only need to enroll in one MSP plan. To find out whether you are enrolled in the UBC MSP, sign on to the UBC Faculty and Self-Service Portal and click view Benefit Enrollments under myBenefits.
• If you have a spouse or partner, enroll as a couple or family in the MSP plan that requires the lower employee contribution to the MSP monthly premium. To learn what the employee contribution is for the UBC MSP, click here.

Example: M&P employees pay 75% of their MSP premium at UBC. If your spouse or partner’s MSP plan requires their employees to pay less than 75%, it would be more economical for you to cancel your UBC MSP coverage and enroll as a couple or family under your spouse or partner’s MSP plan.

Example: CUPE 116 and CUPE 2950 employees pay 0% of the MSP premiums at UBC. Therefore, it is more economical for the individual or family to enroll in the UBC MSP and cancel coverage under the other plan.

• The Provincial Government offers a MSP Premium Assistance Program for lower annual income earners. In the event that you are approved for a full or partial subsidy from the Government, it will be more economical for you to cancel your UBC MSP coverage if the amount you are required to pay under the Premium Assistance Program is lower than the UBC employee contribution. For more information on the Premium Assistance Program and how to apply, click here.

To make changes to your UBC MSP coverage (such as enrollment, cancellation or updating dependents), complete the appropriate MSP form and return it by Campus Mail to: