About MSP Billing

All residents of B.C. are required to enrol for health care benefits under the Medical Services Plan (MSP). For general information about MSP, how to enrol and who is eligible, please visit the Ministry of Health website (opens in new window).

In British Columbia, MSP is a prepaid plan where your MSP premiums are billed one month in advance of the coverage. For example, you pay your June premiums in May.

MSP premium rates, administered by the Ministry of Health, are based on family size, income and allowable MSP deductions.

Effective May 1, 2002, the monthly rates for individuals and families are:

	$54 for one person
	$96 for a family of two
	$108 for a family of three or more

General Billing Information

	Billing Frequency
	Minimum Payment Due
	Payment Due Dates
	Payment Not Reflected on Bill
	Tracing a Payment
	Dishonoured Payments including Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF)
	How a Rate Change Affects your Bill

Your billing frequency is indicated on the front of your MSP Billing Notice along with the minimum payment due and the due date.

MSP billing notices can be sent on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis, whichever is convenient for you.

If you wish to change your current billing frequency, please contact us via e-mail at brbmspq@gems2.gov.bc.ca or call our automated telephone service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

Before calling, please have the Account Number from your MSP Billing Notice and your Personal Health Number ready, so we can easily assist you.

Minimum payment is the amount owed to pay your account to the end of the current billed month OR the amount of a payment arrangement designed to assist you with the payment of past due premiums.

You can pay the total amount due on any billing notice you receive or, if the minimum amount owing is less, you can opt to pay that amount. If you pay the minimum amount owing, you will be billed the following month for the further premiums.

If your account is more than 30 days overdue, you may be contacted regarding your outstanding premiums.

The date your payment is due appears in two places on your MSP bill:

	on the top of your billing notice with your account information
	in the centre section of the bill with information about your billing cycle and amount due

Due dates are determined by the date the bill is printed and cannot be changed.
If payment is not received on or before the required due date, the amount of your payment may not be reflected on your next monthly bill.

Please allow a minimum of:

	eight days if you are mailing your payment through Canada Post
	five business days if you are making your payment through your financial institution
	two business days if you are paying through telephone or internet banking or at your local Government Agent/BC Access Centre (opens in new window)

If payment is not received in our office by the due date shown on the bill, a reminder notice will be sent to you automatically. Please see Failure to Pay for more information.

When your MSP payment is received by the ministry, it takes approximately two business days for the payment to be posted against your account.

If your payment is received on or before the required due date, the payment will be reflected on your next monthly invoice.

For up-to-date account information, including receipt of payments, please call our automated telephone service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

Before calling, please have the account number from your MSP Billing notice and your Personal Health Number ready, so we can easily assist you.

If you made your payment within the required timeframe and have confirmed that your payment has not been received, please see Tracing a Payment.

If a cheque is returned by your financial institution as dishonoured for any reason, a replacement payment is required. A service fee of $20.00 will be charged and billed to you separately. This fee would be in addition to any fees that may be charged by your financial institution.

MSP Premium rates can change for a variety of reasons, such as:

	a change in the Premium rate as determined by government (last change was effective May 1, 2002)
	adding or removing a family member from your account
	receipt of Premium Assistance

If MSP Premium rates are changed, your monthly premiums will be credited or debited at the new rate.

If your monthly rate is increased, a new bill will be issued to you earlier than your normal billing cycle would dictate.

Please note: If you pay more than one month's premium in advance, you are not paying premiums to a specified date; you are paying the required one month's premium and the balance of the payment remains on your account as a credit. As each month's premiums come due, the amount of the premium is deducted from your account, decreasing the balance until there are insufficient funds to cover the next month's premium. A new bill is then issued.

If your monthly rate is decreased, any amounts you have already paid would be credited towards future premiums.

If your monthly rate is decreased to zero (100% Premium Assistance), any balance on your account will be automatically refunded.