Castanet

My wife and I are retired Canadians living on a fixed income, at present we pay $ 75.00 per month MSP premiums ,,, just can't figure it out why students from any country can settle in B.C. and only pay $ 37.50 per month for the same coverage ,,

buteman wrote:My wife and I are retired Canadians living on a fixed income, at present we pay $ 75.00 per month MSP premiums ,,, just can't figure it out why students from any country can settle in B.C. and only pay $ 37.50 per month for the same coverage ,,

Premium rates for MSP are based on income. End of story sorry.

The NDP has promised us that there will be no more premiums in the near future. Hang in there.

johnhenry wrote:The NDP has promised us that there will be no more premiums in the near future. Hang in there.

Just like income tax was a temporary measure in WW 2.

For starters you probably use much more services than your average young student. I'm willing to bet a good chunk of that $37.50 they pay is subsidizing your fees. So if anything you should thank them.

Maybe you should have worked harder and saved more when you were young so you didn't have to worry about an extra $37.50 which works out to about $1 per day.

Also, wrong forum. This isn't a Central Okanagan topic.

You realize the premium was recently reduced by half, making the max payment for someone $37.50. So x that by 2 (for you and your wife), that is $75.00. 1 student would pay $37.50... 2 people would pay double that amount...

Are you just bad at math or think that immigrant students should be paying more??

*As well, depending on your yearly income, you can also apply for MSP premium assistance.

whatwhat wrote:You realize the premium was recently reduced by half, making the max payment for someone $37.50. So x that by 2 (for you and your wife), that is $75.00. 1 student would pay $37.50... 2 people would pay double that amount...

Are you just bad at math or think that immigrant students should be paying more??

*As well, depending on your yearly income, you can also apply for MSP premium assistance.

And once your premiums are eliminated on Jan. 1, those foreign students will continue to pay and receive increases to their premiums as well ($75)

When provincial health care premiums are eliminated for British Columbians next year, one group will see their out-of-pocket costs go up instead of down.

International students at post-secondary institutions in the province currently pay reduced Medical Service Plan fees of $37.50 per month, the same amount that is currently charged to all British Columbia residents earning more than $42,000 per year.

On Jan. 1, when MSP premiums are eliminated, the health care coverage fee for international students will increase to $75 per month.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/international-stu ... -1.4533571

And on a side note about the NDP "eliminating" MSP premiums for all British Columbians, I call hog-wash, they simply just shifted the burden (in typical NDP fashion) from individual taxpayers over to the business sector by way of the "employer health tax". To whom do they think businesses will pass on those increased costs?? ... It's all just smoke and mirrors...

^^^ as they should. Why should they be subsidized? We just love handing money away.

johnhenry wrote:The NDP has promised us that there will be no more premiums in the near future. Hang in there.

As far as the NDP "eliminating" MSP premiums for British Columbians, I call hog-wash, they simply just shifted the burden (in typical NDP fashion) from individual taxpayers over to the business sector by way of the "employer health tax". To whom do they think businesses will pass on those increased costs?? ... It's all just smoke and mirrors...

RVThereYet wrote:As far as the NDP "eliminating" MSP premiums for British Columbians, I call hog-wash, they simply just shifted the burden (in typical NDP fashion) from individual taxpayers over to the business sector by way of the "employer health tax". To whom do they think businesses will pass on those increased costs?? ... It's all just smoke and mirrors...

MSP premiums aren’t being eliminated, as you said, they’re just being shifted. Now instead of paying just your premium, you’re paying every one else’s. I’ve already been to a few establishments where they tack it on to your bill.

It goes back to the old saying that nothing in life is guaranteed except death and taxes ... well ... now we're going to be paying taxes to avoid death ...

We still have to fund healthcare ... nothing can ever eliminate that ... basing it off our income makes sense ... helps that whole "everyone is equal" idea work, within reason ...

When my employer took part of my paycheque and sent it directly to my RRSP provider I never felt any pain for the money not showing up in my cheque ... with my new employer I have to manually send money off each month to contribute to my RRSP and it feels onerous ... but MSP is going the other way so it all balances out

I think the better question would be what "premium" services are we so privileged to pay a "premium" for anyways?

I guess you could consider being able to go tot he hospital without worrying about a massive bill being handed to you on the way out a premium service.

Some Provinces charge a Medical service premium, meanwhile other Provinces have it within their income tax. Either way everyone who is registered with a Provincial Medical service plan pays, in BC it was based on income.

Now the current BC government has changed how this money is collected, businesses will just pass this onto customers.