Ukrainians fleeing violence get immediate MSP coverage

April 25, 2022

 

Victoria — Displaced Ukrainians arriving in B.C. with visas issued under the federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) will now have access to date-of-arrival Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage.

Backgrounders

Supporting Ukrainians

The Province amended the Medical and Health Care Services Regulation to extend Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage to all individuals arriving in B.C. under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET). There will also be no three-month waiting period before MSP coverage begins to help ensure immediate access to health services.

In addition to day-of-arrival coverage for MSP, the Province has ensured more supports are available to help Ukrainians settle in B.C., including:

  • expansion of United Way British Columbia’s services to include bc211 phone and web support;
  • access to free employment services and supports available through 102 WorkBC Centres, including skills training, employment counselling and access to the WorkBC provincial job board with more than 49,000 job postings, job application tips and career tools;
  • school districts are encouraged to enrol K-12 students from Ukraine and can waive additional fees they might have for extracurricular activities, such as music or soccer camps, or where the financial situation of the family necessitates it;
  • affordable and no-cost mental-health resources for children, youth and their families from community counselling providers throughout British Columbia; and
  • ensuring Ukrainians arriving though the CUAET program are eligible for domestic tuition at public post-secondary institutions. As well, post-secondary institutions are delivering access to on-campus supports, including mental-health, accommodation and financial assistance, such as emergency grants or tuition deferrals.

Most Ukrainians coming to B.C. are expected to arrive through the CUAET program. Between March 17 and April 19, Canada received more than 163,000 applications from Ukrainians under this new emergency travel program. In that time, more than 56,000 applications have been approved. Ukrainians arriving through this program may settle where they choose.