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MSP costs and the waiting period

What MSP covers and excludes, how the waiting period works, the $75/month international-student fee, and what uninsured care costs. all verified against official sources (gov.bc.ca, canada.ca).

Updated 2026-10-01

What is MSP?

MSP (Medical Services Plan) is BC's public health insurance. It pays for medically necessary doctor visits, so when you show your coverage at a walk-in clinic, the visit itself costs you nothing out of pocket. [1][2]

MSP covers:

  • Medically required services from doctors and midwives
  • Dental or oral surgery performed in a hospital
  • Medically required eye examinations
  • X-rays and lab tests ordered by your doctor [2]

MSP does NOT cover:

  • Non-essential physical exams (e.g. Check-ups with no medical indication)
  • Medical exams for insurance, driver's licences, or immigration
  • Cosmetic surgery
  • Dental work done in a dental office
  • Eyeglasses, hearing aids, and other equipment
  • Counselling services
  • Routine eye exams for ages 19–64
  • Paramedical services (physio, chiro, massage, etc.) unless you qualify for supplementary benefits [2]

Prescription drugs are not covered by MSP. they fall under PharmaCare, a separate program. [2]

MSP premiums were eliminated on January 1, 2020. most residents pay no monthly premium. Exception: international students on study permits pay a mandatory $75/month International Student Health Fee (see section 5). [4][5]

The waiting period: "balance of the month + two months"

MSP does not start the day you arrive. There is a waiting period: the balance of the month in which you establish residence in BC, plus two full calendar months. [1]

Example from the BC government: if you arrive on August 25, your MSP coverage starts November 1. If you arrive on August 1, it still starts November 1. the "balance of the month" is free either way.

The government's own advice: apply as soon as you arrive in BC, and buy private health insurance to cover yourself during the wait. [1] Do not wait until you feel sick. most private plans have exclusion periods for newly purchased policies (one insurer's policy, for example, excludes non-emergency treatment within the first 48 hours of the policy start date. terms vary by company, so read your policy). [13]

Who is eligible

You must be a BC resident. Canadian citizens and permanent residents qualify. Work permit and study permit holders qualify if their permits are valid for 6 months or longer. [1]

One caution from the government: if you leave BC for more than 30 days during the waiting period, it can affect your eligibility. Plan travel accordingly. [1]

How to apply, and the card you'll get

Apply online through the BC government website as soon as you arrive. the province says to apply immediately, so don't delay. [1]

After you're enrolled, you get a BC Services Card (your health card) showing your 10-digit Personal Health Number (PHN). note: 10 digits, starting with 9. [3]

Photo vs non-photo card:

  • If you are 18 years and 6 months or older and applied as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you get a photo card: visit an ICBC driver licensing office with two pieces of ID, declare BC residency, and have your photo taken. The card is mailed to you afterwards. If you are under 18 years and 6 months, a non-photo card is mailed to you automatically. no ICBC visit needed. [12]
  • If you are in BC on a work or study permit (a "temporary document holder"), you automatically receive a non-photo card in the mail. the ICBC photo step does not apply to you. This is stated directly on the BC government's MSP application page. [12][6]

Practical tip: if your card hasn't arrived yet, bring your 10-digit PHN to the clinic. clinics can check your MSP coverage online using the PHN alone. (This reflects how BC clinics verify eligibility in practice; it's a third-party description of clinic procedure, not a government statement.) [14]

International students: the $75/month fee and iMED

Study permit holders (permits of 6+ months) are charged a mandatory $75/month International Student Health Fee, billed by the BC government directly. it is not part of your tuition. [5]

UBC students: most new international students are automatically covered by iMED (a temporary plan managed by GuardMe) for their first 3 months in Canada. exactly the MSP waiting period. iMED covers emergency hospitalization and required medical services, including treatment at a doctor's clinic. Apply for MSP as soon as you enter BC; iMED is not a substitute for applying. [6][7]

Graduating? If you switch to a Post-Graduation Work Permit, call MSP to have the $75/month student fee removed. otherwise you keep getting billed. [6]

What if I have no insurance at all?

You can still see a doctor. you'll just pay the clinic's self-pay rate. There is no official province-wide price list; each clinic sets its own fees for uninsured patients (Doctors of BC publishes recommended rates as a guideline, but clinics set their own). [15] As a rough estimate, expect around $100–200 for a basic walk-in visit. This is an estimate, not a fixed price. Call the clinic ahead and ask. [16]

Hospitals are far more expensive, and here we have official numbers. Providence Health Care's published FY26 rate schedule (as of November 1, 2025; rates are set by BC's Ministry of Health) charges non-residents of Canada:

  • Emergency department visit: $1,015 hospital/clinic fee + $340 doctor's fee
  • Standard ward, per day: $4,690
  • Intensive / cardiac / neuro / spine care, per day: $13,110 [10]

(These are Providence Health Care hospitals: St. Paul's, Mount Saint Joseph, Holy Family. Other health authorities set their own schedules, so treat these as the order of magnitude, not a quote.) If you have no insurance, hospitals require a cash deposit or credit card imprint and full payment by discharge. [9]

Bottom line: a walk-in visit without insurance is in the low hundreds; a hospital visit without insurance is in the thousands per day. If you're in the waiting period, private insurance for those months is the rational move. [1][10]

Sources

  • [1] BC government, "Are you eligible for MSP?" / "Apply for MSP". waiting period, 6-month permit rule, "apply as soon as you arrive" advice, 30-day absence rule. Page updated 2026-07-07. are-you-eligible · apply-for-msp
  • [2] BC government, "Services Covered by MSP", updated 2026-02-27. services-covered-by-msp
  • [3] BC government, PharmaCare Policy Manual (Unified) — "MSP assigns a 10-digit Personal Health Number (PHN) to B.C. residents." PharmaCare Policy Manual
  • [4] BC government, "MSP Premium Elimination: Jan. 1, 2020". msp-premium-elimination-jan-1-2020
  • [5] BC government, "Health fee for international students". mandatory $75/month for students on a study permit for at least six months of the year. health-fee-international-students
  • [6] UBC Student Services, "Medical Services Plan (MSP) for international students". UBC — MSP for international students
  • [7] UBC Student Services, "iMED: Temporary health insurance for international students". automatic enrolment, GuardMe-managed. UBC. iMED
  • [9] Providence Health Care, "Accessing care while visiting BC". Accessing care while visiting BC
  • [10] Providence Health Care, "Fees for Non-Residents and Uninsured Residents" (FY26, as of Nov 1, 2025). FY26 rate schedule (PDF)
  • [12] BC government, "Your BC Services Card" / "How to Apply for MSP". photo cards at 18 years 6 months+ (citizens/PRs); permit holders get non-photo cards automatically. BC Services Card · how-to-enrol
  • [13] The Co-operators, "Visitors to Canada" policy wording (PDF) — 48-hour exclusion example; terms vary by insurer. Visitors to Canada policy (PDF)
  • [14] On The Move Canada, "MSP & BC Services Card" (third-party explainer). onthemovecanada.com
  • [15] BC Family Doctors / Doctors of BC, "Why bill for Uninsured Services?" (PDF). Billing Tips for Uninsured Services (PDF)
  • [16] Air Doctor, "A Traveler's Guide to Healthcare in Canada" (third-party estimate). air-dr.com

Sources