I just moved to BC from overseas. When does my health care coverage start, and what do I do if I get sick before then?

You're not doing anything wrong. There's a built-in waiting period before BC's public health coverage starts for new residents, and many newcomers are surprised by it. Here's how it works and how to protect yourself in the meantime.

When your coverage starts

BC's public health insurance is called the Medical Services Plan, or MSP. For new residents, coverage doesn't begin the day you arrive. There's a wait period first. It's made up of the rest of the month you arrive, plus the two months after that. So your coverage starts on the first day of the third month after you get here. If you arrived in March, your coverage would start June 1. If you arrived April 5, it starts July 1.

One exception: your "arrival date" is usually the day you got to BC. But the Ministry of Health sets your official residence date based on your immigration status, and for some people it starts later. For example, say you arrived as a visitor, and your status changed later to one that qualifies you for MSP. Your wait period would start from that later date.

Apply right away — don't wait for the wait period to end

This is the most important step. Apply for MSP as soon as you arrive, not at the end of the wait period. Processing takes a few weeks. If you apply early, your coverage is backdated to your eligibility date once you're approved. So applying early costs you nothing. But applying late can leave you uncovered longer, while the paperwork catches up. You can apply online at gov.bc.ca/msp once you have a BC address. Enrolment is mandatory for eligible residents, and there's no cost to apply.

Most citizens, permanent residents, and people on a work or study permit valid for at least six months are eligible. Visitors and tourists are not.

What to do during the gap

During the wait, you're responsible for your own medical costs, and BC's private rates are high. A clinic visit or an emergency room trip without coverage can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. So you'll want a plan for those months.

• Buy short-term private medical insurance to cover the wait. This is the main option for most newcomers. One thing to know: many policies must be bought before or on the day you arrive. Buying it late can leave gaps or cancel the coverage. If you've just arrived, look into it right away.

• If you moved from another Canadian province, keep your old provincial health coverage active during the wait. It usually covers you until your BC coverage starts.

• If you're a refugee, a refugee claimant, or a protected person, you may already be covered. The federal Interim Federal Health Program can cover you during the wait, instead of private insurance. It's worth checking whether you qualify before you pay out of pocket.

• In a true emergency, you will still be treated. Hospitals won't turn you away. But if you're not yet covered, you can be billed at full rates afterward. That's exactly why short-term insurance matters.

You can ask the Ministry of Health to waive the wait period. But this is granted only in rare cases of serious financial hardship, so it's not something to rely on.

The bottom line

Apply for MSP the moment you have a BC address. Arrange some coverage for the gap before you need it, and keep proof of when you applied. The wait is normal and temporary. The goal is simple: make sure one unexpected illness in those first couple of months doesn't turn into a large bill.