B.C. premier says big changes coming to MSP premiums

A day after cancelling a planned four per cent increase to Medical Service Plan premiums, Premier Christy Clark said the government is set to make some big changes to the health care fee. 

The province will not remove the monthly premium, but is considering fees based on income so not every person who makes more than $42,000 a year pays the same amount.

"I really don't like the way MSP works. I think it charges people in the middle class too much," said Clark. "The minute you start paying it, if you are a middle class person it can suddenly become very expensive. It's an old system, it's archaic, it's not very logical."

Pegging to earnings

The province announced changes to the medical fee in last February's budget which included getting rid of the MSP for those 18 and under as well as providing discounted rates for people who make between $30,000 and $42,000 a year. 

One option the province is considering now is pegging the premium to earnings, which is what's currently done in Ontario.

Clark said the change would also mean residents would no longer have to fill out multiple forms.

"It is a such a headache to fill out all those separate forms for people," added Clark. "We are going to do a lot to fix what we think are inequities."

Weaver wants reform

Green Party MLA Andrew Weaver has been leading the charge for the past 2 years on reforms to health care premium payments. 

"The idea is we should treat health care premiums much like we treat EI and CPP, it's an insurance policy and the amount we pay is based on your ability to pay. In Ontario, for example, you pay nothing if you earn very little and you max out at $900 if you make $200,600 a year," said Weaver.

"By doing it this way you can respect and retain the negotiated benefit that many of our employees have at a variety of institutions because it can simply be a payroll deduction."