Why BC has no annual physical: which checks to get by age, and how to ask for them

MSP does not cover routine annual physicals

In BC, MSP does not pay for a yearly head-to-toe physical for adults without symptoms. The province's "services not covered by MSP" page lists routine annual complete physical examinations among preventive services that lack evidence of medical effectiveness. The same page also excludes exams and certificates required for driving, employment, life insurance, school, sports and immigration, and PSA (prostate specific antigen) screening tests. ^[1]

That does not mean BC skips prevention. The Ministry of Health's Lifetime Prevention Schedule (LPS) lists the screening and interventions worth offering to people without symptoms, by age and sex at birth, and doctors fit them into regular visits. ^[2][3]

The evidence: routine checkups did not lower death rates

A 2019 Cochrane review included 17 randomized trials, 15 of which reported outcomes for 251,891 people. Compared with no routine checks, health checks made little or no difference to total mortality (RR 1.00), cancer mortality (RR 1.01) or cardiovascular mortality (RR 1.05). ^[4]

Choosing Wisely Canada tells patients that healthy people often don't need annual physicals and that these visits can do more harm than good. Most people should have a test only when they have symptoms or risk factors, because false positives lead to anxiety and unnecessary follow-up. ^[5]

What BC recommends by age (2026 edition)

The table below comes from the 2026 LPS practice guide and applies to people without symptoms. If you already have high blood pressure, diabetes or a strong family history, your doctor will set a different schedule. ^[3]

The schedule also covers weight, tobacco and alcohol counselling, and immunizations by the vaccine schedules. ^[3] How to sign up for the four cancer screening programs, and which ones you can book without a doctor, is covered in our cancer screening guide, along with hepatitis B testing for people born in regions where it is common.

How to ask a family doctor or walk-in clinic

1. Say what the visit is for when you book, for example: "I'd like a prevention check to see whether my blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and cancer screening are due." Many clinics handle one or two issues per visit, so saying it up front lets the doctor plan time or split it over visits.
2. Bring what you have: past lab reports, checkup reports from abroad, your current medications, and major illnesses in parents and siblings (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and the age they started).
3. Ask: "For my age, which of these are due?" If blood work is needed, the doctor gives you a requisition to take to a lab; see our blood test guide for the steps.
4. Without a family doctor, you can make the same request at a walk-in or virtual clinic. Under the CPSBC standard, the ordering doctor is responsible for following up results, and a patient who has not named a family doctor is assumed to be getting primary care from that clinic. ^[6] Going back to the same clinic makes it less likely that results and follow-up fall through the cracks.

Paying for a private checkup package

Some people get checkups on trips home or buy private packages locally. MSP does not pay for these, and exams required by an employer are not covered either. ^[1] Points to weigh:

• More tests are not automatically better. Choosing Wisely notes that testing without symptoms or risk factors can lead to false positives and more tests and treatment. ^[5]
• Whole-body CT: the US FDA has never approved whole-body CT for screening people without symptoms and points to the radiation dose. ^[7]
• Tests such as PSA screening are already patient-paid in BC; it is reasonable to discuss the pros and cons with a doctor first. ^[1]
• Someone has to interpret and follow up abnormal results. Bring the report to your family doctor or regular clinic so they can decide whether anything needs repeating.