ACTION REQUIRED - Cancellation of the Medical Service Group Plan (MSP)

HR Corner 

This is the republication of an email sent out to employees from Human Resources Director Brenda McKay on Wednesday, November 6, 2019. If you did not receive the original email, it does not apply to you. 

This message is intended for employees currently covered under the VIU’s MSP Group Plan coverage.

Historically, VIU has paid the Medical Services Plan (MSP) premium and administered MSP on behalf of most employee groups at VIU. In 2018, the BC government announced a plan to replace the premium with a payroll tax, making December 2019 the last month the MSP premium is payable. With the elimination of the premium, there is no longer a need for VIU to administer the group plan. Although VIU will no longer be administering the plan, B.C. residents must continue to fulfill their MSP obligations under the Medicare Protection Act, which includes updating your personal information, including address changes. HIBC and the Ministry of Health offer easy online services to ensure that your MSP account information and address stay current.

What this means for you

It is important for you to know that the structure of MSP accounts will remain the same. Accounts will still include an account holder and, if applicable, a spouse and/or children. New and returning residents will still be required to complete two steps for MSP enrolment: submit an Application for MSP Enrolment to Health Insurance BC (HIBC), the administrator of MSP for the BC Government, and obtain a BC Services Card by visiting an Insurance Corporation of BC driver licensing office.

You do not need to re-apply for MSP coverage. HIBC will automatically put you and any existing dependents on a self-administered MSP account when your VIU Group Coverage ends on January 31, 2020.  You will receive a letter from HIBC with current account information when your new MSP account is created. If you need to make an MSP account change when you receive the letter you will do so on the following site:  www.gov.bc.ca/managingyourmspaccount.

Additional information regarding the termination of our group plan is available on the BC Government website. 

Next Steps

VIU Human Resources (HR) wants to ensure that all information in the MSP system is current and up to date before the group plan ends. As such, we ask that you review your information on the StarGarden employee/payroll portal and if you need to update or correct any of your personal information please send your changes to employee_benefits@viu.ca by December 31, 2019. For your convenience we have attached an instruction sheet for accessing the portal and steps to review your covered dependents and your current address on file.

For any changes that occur in January 2020 you will need to advise the HR office via an email to employee_benefits@viu.ca.

After January 31, 2020 you will need to advise both HR and MSP of any dependent and/or address changes. Specifically, you must update your MSP and VIU HR if you:  

• Change your address;

• Update your personal information, or information for other individuals on your account (including name, date of birth, or gender);

• Add and/or remove a spouse (including Common-law) or child(ren); and/or

• Update your status in Canada (e.g.: obtain a new work permit, study permit, or confirmation of permanent residence).

Once again, please submit personal information changes to Employee_benefits@viu.ca prior to December 31, 2019. If you have any questions or concerns, visit the HR office in Building 305, Room 272, Nanaimo Campus or email HR@viu.ca.