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Depending on your employee status, you are eligible for various types of benefits under the Public
Service Benefit Plan. Your spouse and dependent children are eligible for coverage under some of the
benefit plans as soon as you become eligible.
If your spouse is also an employee covered under the Provincial Benefit Plans provided under
the Public Service Benefit Plan Act only one employee may enroll in the extended health, dental and
Medical Services plans.
Please read the information in this section carefully so that you understand your eligibility.
To download a printable copy of your eligibility status, go to the Employee Benefit Eligibility
Table mentioned below.
Some of the benefit plans available to you as an employee can also be extended
to your spouse and your dependents. The benefit plans that can be extended are:
- Medical Services Plan (MSP)
- Extended Health & Dental
- Optional Group Life
- BC Employee and Family Assistance Program
You are responsible for providing accurate and timely enrollment information
to maintain uninterrupted coverage for yourself, your spouse, and/or your dependents.
To enroll your spouse/dependent(s) or make changes to your coverage please go
to our change package to obtain
the required forms.
Employee benefits available to you as an eligible employee of the province
can be extended to:
- a married or common-law spouse (same or opposite sex) who is living with you;
- an unmarried child, stepchild, adopted child or legal ward, mainly supported by you, who
is a dependent for income tax purposes, and who is:
under 19, or
under 25 and in full-time attendance at a school, university or vocational institution which
provides a recognized diploma, certificate or degree.
- a dependent child of any age who, because of mental or physical infirmity,
is accepted as a dependent for income tax purposes.
- effective April 1, 2001, if your dependent children reside with a former spouse and the
former spouse is not eligible for coverage under an extended health plan, dental plan or
Medical Services Plan of BC, then you may continue coverage under your plans.
- a grandchild is not an eligible dependent unless adopted by or a
legal ward of the employee or the employee's spouse
All benefit coverages extended to an eligible spouse and/or dependent will
terminate effective the same date that your coverage is terminated.
If your spouse is an employee covered under the Provincial Benefit Plans provided under the
Public Service Benefit Plan Act only one enrollment is registered in the extended
health, dental and Medical Services plans.
To be eligible for MSP coverage, in addition to the criteria above, spouse
and dependents must be residents in British Columbia and Canadian, Landed Immigrants or a
Temporary Document Holder.
The BC Employee and Family Assistance Program is available to eligible employees and to family
members who normally reside with you.
Coverage of a legal spouse and any eligible dependents is effective on the
date when the employee's coverage is effective, the date of marriage, or the date the
Enrollment/Change form is registered with the carrier, whichever is the later
date.
Coverage of a common-law spouse (same or opposite sex) - and any eligible
dependents - is effective on the date when the employee's coverage is effective, or the first of
the month following the date the Enrollment/Change is registered with the carrier, whichever is
later, if:
- you sign a declaration that you are living in a common-law relationship; or
- you and your common-law spouse have been co-habiting at least 12 months
before your coverage is effective, or
- you and your common-law spouse have been co-habiting less than 12 months
prior to your effective date and you have claimed your common-law spouse's children for income
tax purposes.
Coverage for a newborn child is effective from the date of birth.
Once a common-law spouse has been enrolled in the benefit plan, a different common-law spouse
and any eligible dependents may be enrolled in the plan 12 months after you cancel coverage for
the previous common-law spouse and applicable dependents.
For dependents such as a legal ward or adopted child, a photocopy of court
papers or legal documents must be attached to the
Enrollment/Change
form.
In the event that you are no longer residing together, benefit coverage will
not be continued for your former spouse. Any obligations under separation or divorce
arrangements are the responsibility of the employee, not the benefit plans.
Please advise Benefits Service Centre if the coverage should be terminated for
your spouse only.
Effective April 1, 2001, if your dependent child(ren) reside with a former
spouse and the former spouse is not eligible for coverage under an extended health plan, dental
plan, or Medical Services Plan of BC, then you may continue coverage under your plan(s).
This coverage is available only for the period the former spouse is not
eligible for coverage under some or all of these other three plans.
You are responsible for cancelling dependent coverage for children who are no
longer eligible for coverage as dependents when they:
- reach age 19; or
- are no longer supported by you and are no longer a dependent for income tax
purposes; or
- are between 19 and 25 years old and are no longer in full-time attendance at
school; or
- start full-time employment; or
- marry or live common-law.
- live with your former spouse and your former spouse is eligible for extended
health and/or dental and/or Medical Services Plan coverage.
A dependent child is automatically deleted from your coverage the last day of
the month in which they turn 19. This will show on your new coverage card sent out by the
carrier. If the dependent is in full-time enrollment in school and is eligible for re-enrollment,
advise your employer and complete an
Enrollment/Change
form with the name and birthdate of the child and the institution being attended. After this,
letters will be sent out from the carrier requesting confirmation of the dependent's full-time
attendance in school until the dependent has turned age 25.
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