Start from what MSP already covers
Before buying anything, know what you don't need to duplicate. MSP covers medically necessary doctor visits, midwifery, hospital dental/oral surgery, medically required eye exams, and diagnostic x-rays and labs. and prescription drugs fall under PharmaCare, not MSP. (See Guide #9, source [2].)
What MSP does not cover is exactly where private insurance earns its keep: prescription drugs (without PharmaCare), dental work in a dental office, eyeglasses, counselling, and paramedical services like physiotherapy or massage for most people. (Guide #9, [2].)
The three private-insurance buckets
a) Employer or school plans. If you (or a family member) work for a BC employer, check the benefits package first. many include extended health and dental. International students: most new UBC students are auto-enrolled in iMED for the first 3 months (the MSP waiting period), managed by GuardMe. (Guide #9, [7].)
b) "Visitors to Canada" / waiting-period plans. If you're in the MSP waiting period, or visiting without MSP, buy a visitors-to-Canada medical plan for exactly those months. Buy it before you need care. policies typically exclude conditions that appear shortly after the policy starts (one insurer's wording excludes non-emergency treatment within the first 48 hours; terms vary, so read your policy). [B]
c) Top-up / extended health plans. For routine gaps MSP never covers (drugs, dental, vision, physio), insurers like Pacific Blue Cross sell individual plans in Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers. the tiers and plan finder are on their official site. [C]
Super Visa insurance: the official checklist
Parents and grandparents visiting on a Super Visa must hold private health insurance meeting IRCC's requirements. The official checklist (IRCC, "Forms and documents — Super visa"): [A]
- Minimum $100,000 emergency coverage
- Valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry
- Covers health care, hospitalization, and repatriation
- Paid in full, or in instalments with a deposit. a quote alone is not accepted
- From a Canadian insurance company, or a foreign insurer authorized by OSFI (appears on OSFI's public list of federally regulated financial institutions) that issued the policy while doing insurance business in Canada
- Valid for each entry to Canada. proof required on every entry
- Available for review by border officers on request
- If the policy will expire before the visitor leaves Canada, renew it to maintain coverage during the stay
Two corrections worth knowing: since January 28, 2025, qualifying foreign insurers are accepted (it used to be Canadian companies only). but brokers and claims administrators don't count, and the policy must state it was issued while the company was doing insurance business in Canada. And contrary to what many blogs still say, the policy does not have to be paid in one lump sum. instalments with a deposit are explicitly allowed. [A]
Pre-existing conditions: read the "stability clause"
Most visitors' plans limit or exclude pre-existing conditions through a stability clause: the condition must have been "stable" (no new symptoms, treatment changes, or medication adjustments. definitions vary) for a set period, commonly 90 or 180 days before the policy start date, depending on the insurer and the applicant's age. These numbers are market examples, not rules. Your policy's wording is the only thing that counts. If a parent has heart disease, diabetes, or similar, get the stability definition in writing before buying. [D]
How billing actually works when you're uninsured
A practical point many families learn too late: Providence Health Care cannot bill many foreign insurance companies directly. including US Medicare and most US-based plans. That means you may have to pay the hospital and doctor fees upfront and claim reimbursement from your insurer yourself, keeping every receipt and requesting your health records for the claim. [E]
Official FY26 hospital rates for non-residents (Providence Health Care, as of Nov 1, 2025): emergency visit $1,015 + $340 doctor's fee; standard ward $4,690/day; ICU $13,110/day. Hospitals require a deposit or credit card imprint and full payment by discharge. [E][F]
What to buy, by situation
| Situation | Buy this |
|---|---|
| New immigrant / worker in the MSP waiting period | Visitors-to-Canada medical plan covering the wait months; apply for MSP on arrival |
| Parent/grandparent on Super Visa | Super Visa-compliant plan ($100k+, 1 year, paid in full or instalments + deposit); renew before expiry |
| International student (UBC) | iMED is automatic for the first 3 months; then MSP (+ $75/month fee); consider AMS/GSS extended plan for dental/vision |
| Tourist / short visit | Travel medical insurance from home or a Canadian insurer before departure |
| MSP active, want drugs/dental/vision covered | Extended health plan (employer, or individual like Blue Cross Bronze/Silver/Gold) |
Sources
- [A] IRCC, "Super visa for parents and grandparents – Forms and documents" — $100,000 minimum; 1 year from entry; health care + hospitalization + repatriation; paid in full or in instalments with a deposit (quotes aren't accepted); Canadian or OSFI-authorized foreign insurer; valid each entry; renewable; border review. IRCC — Super visa forms and documents
- [B] The Co-operators, "Visitors to Canada" policy wording (PDF) — 48-hour exclusion example; terms vary by insurer. Visitors to Canada policy (PDF)
- [C] Pacific Blue Cross, personal health plan finder: Bronze / Silver / Gold tiers. pac.bluecross.ca. Plan finder
- [D] PolicyAdvisor, visitors-to-Canada insurance review (third-party). stability-clause examples of 90/180 days; definitions vary by insurer. policyadvisor.com
- [E] Providence Health Care, "Accessing care while visiting BC". foreign-insurer billing limits; upfront payment and claims. Accessing care while visiting BC
- [F] Providence Health Care, "Fees for Non-Residents and Uninsured Residents" (FY26, as of Nov 1, 2025). FY26 rate schedule (PDF)
- [G9-2] BC government, "Services Covered by MSP". full listing in Guide #9, source [2]. services-covered-by-msp
- [G9-7] UBC Student Services, "iMED: Temporary health insurance for international students". full listing in Guide #9, source [7]. UBC. iMED