New to the Region

We know that there are many details to take care of and decisions to make when moving to B.C. Some of the first things you’ll need to do when you arrive are to make sure that you and your family have health-care coverage to cover the cost of medical services. Here’s a summary of what you need to do:

• As soon as you arrive in B.C., apply for Medical Services Plan (MSP), the province’s medical plan
• Since you’ll have a waiting period before your MSP coverage starts, arrange for private medical insurance if you’re arriving in B.C. from outside Canada. If you’re coming to B.C. from another Canadian province or territory, you will be covered under your former provincial medical plan during the waiting period.

In Canada, the cost of a medically necessary physician and hospital services is covered by the public medical plan in the province where you live. In B.C., this plan is called the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP).

All B.C. residents must enrol in the MSP, including:

• Non-permanent residents, such as those holding study and work permits valid for six months or more 
• Applicants for permanent resident status who are the spouse or child of an eligible B.C. resident
• Tourists and visitors to B.C. are not eligible for Medical Services Plan (MSP).

Learn more about the Medical Services Plan (MSP)

There are more than 1,900 doctors practicing in our region. Most do not work for Interior Health, but are an essential part of health-care delivery. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. maintains information about doctors in B.C. in the province. To look up information about doctors, visit their registrant directory.

If you don’t have a family doctor, you can visit an Urgent and Primary Care Centre or a walk-in health clinic. HealthLinkBC maintains a list of walk-in clinics, or you can call 8-1-1 to speak with a health service navigator.