Maintaining a Child Under Your Account as a Dependent Post-Secondary Student

Maintaining a Dependent Post-Secondary Student on your MSP account may provide them continuous access to income-based programs, such as Fair Pharmacare and Supplementary Benefits. If you are on a group account, maintaining a Dependent Post-Secondary Student on your MSP account may provide them continuous access to other benefits provided by your group administrator.

Children are no longer eligible for coverage on a parent or guardian’s account when they:

• marry or live together in a marriage-like relationship, or
• turn 19 years of age, unless they are a dependent post-secondary student (in full-time attendance at a recognized post-secondary institution and supported by the parent or guardian. (A dependent post-secondary student may include a student enrolled in full-time studies at a trade school, technical school or high school.)

HIBC will send a letter to the Account Holder as a child approaches age 19, advising that coverage for the child under that account will end on the last day of the month the child turns 19. Unless you maintain the child on your account as a dependent post-secondary student, MSP will set up a new, self-administered account for them.

MSP coverage can continue for children who are full-time students until the last day of the month in which they turn 25, provided they are not married or living in a marriage-like relationship, and are supported by the Account Holder.

If the child is registered for Fair Pharmacare coverage of prescription costs and designated medical supplies, they can remain under the family's Fair Pharmacare coverage until December 31 of the year they are no longer covered by the parent/legal guardian. At that time, they should contact Health Insurance BC to establish their own coverage. Please note that the child does not need to register for Fair PharmaCare; they just need to request separate Fair Pharmacare coverage.

To maintain a child as a dependent post-secondary student on your account, you can:

• Use the MSP Account Change Request online form to add the post-secondary enrolment details for your child. Follow the directions given in the form. OR
• Go to Forms for B.C. Residents and complete the “Continued Enrolment in MSP for Ages 19-24” paper form. Send the completed form to HIBC. (If you are on a group MSP account through an employer or group health insurance provider, give a copy of the completed paper form to your group administrator. They will forward it to HIBC.)

You will need to provide:

• The name and address of the school or university your child attends full time;
• The expected date their studies will end;
• If they are studying outside British Columbia, the date they originally left the province to attend school;
• If studying by correspondence, study details including hours spend per week on courses.

REQUEST MSP ACCOUNT CHANGE