How to Apply for BC PharmaCare
BC PharmaCare's Fair PharmaCare plan sets a family deductible from income two years ago. Temporary coverage starts the day you register online or by phone.
How to Apply for the BC Healthy Kids Program
The BC Healthy Kids Program covers up to $2,000 of basic dental services every two years for children under 19 in families with adjusted net income of $42,000 or less.
Applies in: British Columbia
The short answer
There is no separate Healthy Kids form to fill in. Coverage comes through Medical Services Plan (MSP) supplementary benefits. The Government of British Columbia says your family must have an annual adjusted net income of $42,000 or less, and children are eligible for up to $2,000 of basic dental services every two years.
Through the Healthy Kids Program, children of low-income families can get help with the costs of basic dental care, prescription eyewear, hearing instruments, and alternative hearing assistance.
Who the program describes
The Healthy Kids Program is an income-tested program. Your children are eligible if your family is eligible for MSP supplementary benefits and they are under 19 years old.
To access MSP supplementary benefits, you must apply for MSP supplementary benefits with Health Insurance BC (HIBC), file your taxes each year with the Canada Revenue Agency, and update your MSP account if your family changes, such as adding or removing a spouse or child. HIBC confirms your income each year to decide ongoing eligibility.
This guide covers the access route only. It gives no advice on whether your family qualifies.
How to get coverage in place
- Apply for MSP supplementary benefits with Health Insurance BC. That application is the gateway to Healthy Kids coverage.
- File your taxes each year. HIBC uses your tax information to confirm income each year.
- Keep your MSP account current. Update it when your family changes.
- Use the card at the office. Show your child's CareCard or BC Services Card when you arrive at the dental, optical, or audiology office. Confirm coverage before the appointment and ask if there will be extra charges that are not covered.
What is covered
Dental. Up to a maximum of $2,000 toward basic dental services every two years, including exams, x-rays, fillings, cleanings, and extractions. Emergency treatment is available after the $2,000 limit is reached, only for the immediate relief of pain. Orthodontics are not included.
Optical. Prescription glasses once a year, including lenses and basic frames. MSP covers eye examinations for children. Contact lenses are not included.
Hearing. Hearing aids, bone anchored hearing aids, cochlear implants, repairs, and related items. An audiologist or hearing instrument provider assesses the best option and sends recommendations for preauthorization. If approved, coverage provides the least expensive, appropriate hearing instrument. An alternative hearing assistance supplement may be available if a child has permanent profound hearing loss in both ears and will not benefit from a hearing instrument to understand speech. Call 1-866-866-0800 for more information.
What the opened pages do not state
The British Columbia page states the $2,000 dental maximum every two years and the once-a-year glasses rule, but it does not publish a dollar amount for glasses, frames, or hearing instruments, apart from saying hearing coverage provides the least expensive, appropriate instrument, so this guide gives no dollar amounts for those items. The page also does not state how long an MSP supplementary benefits application takes to process, so this guide gives no processing time.
Related guides:
- How to Apply for the BC Family Benefit — British Columbia's tax-free monthly payment for families with children under 18.
- How to Apply for BC Disability Assistance — British Columbia disability assistance, which carries health supplements through a separate route for families on assistance.
- How to Apply for the Canada Child Benefit — the federal monthly payment for families raising children under 18.
- How to Apply for Healthy Smiles Ontario — Ontario's free dental program for children and youth, the closest Ontario counterpart.
- How to Start Getting Dental Care Covered in Canada — how public dental coverage fits together across Canada.
Getting BC Healthy Kids coverage, in five steps
- Apply for MSP supplementary benefitsHealthy Kids coverage runs through Medical Services Plan supplementary benefits, applied for with Health Insurance BC.
- File your taxes every yearHealth Insurance BC confirms your income each year. Your family must have an annual adjusted net income of $42,000 or less.
- Keep your MSP account currentUpdate your account when your family changes, such as adding or removing a spouse or child.
- Show the child's BC Services Card at the officeShow your child's CareCard or BC Services Card at the dental, optical, or audiology office and confirm coverage before the appointment.
- Ask about extra charges before treatmentAsk the provider whether any part of the bill falls outside the program, before services begin.
Questions people ask
Is there a separate Healthy Kids application form?
No separate form is described on the British Columbia page. Coverage runs through Medical Services Plan supplementary benefits: apply for supplementary benefits with Health Insurance BC, file your taxes each year, and keep your MSP account up to date when your family changes.
How much dental coverage does a child get?
Children are eligible for up to a maximum of $2,000 toward basic dental services every two years, covering exams, x-rays, fillings, cleanings, and extractions. Emergency treatment is available if your child has reached the $2,000 limit, and it is only for the immediate relief of pain. Orthodontics are not included.
What optical coverage does the program give?
Children are eligible for prescription glasses once a year, including lenses and basic frames. The Medical Services Plan covers eye examinations for children. Contact lenses are not included, and all prescriptions must be current and meet certain criteria.
What is the income limit for the BC Healthy Kids Program?
Your family must have an annual adjusted net income of $42,000 or less. Health Insurance BC confirms your income each year to decide ongoing eligibility for supplementary benefits and the Healthy Kids Program, and your children must be under 19 years old and your family eligible for Medical Services Plan supplementary benefits.
What hearing help is covered?
Children are eligible for hearing aids, bone anchored hearing aids, cochlear implants, repairs, and related items. Your audiologist or hearing instrument provider assesses the best option and sends recommendations for preauthorization. If approved, coverage provides the least expensive, appropriate hearing instrument.
How do I use the coverage at an appointment?
Show your child's CareCard or BC Services Card when you arrive at the dental, optical, or audiology office. Confirm coverage before the appointment with the provider and ask if there will be any extra charges that are not covered. For more information, call 1-866-866-0800.
Sources
- Government of British Columbia, Basic dental, eyeglasses and hearing care — the MSP supplementary benefits gateway, the $42,000 adjusted net income limit, the under-19 age rule, the tax filing and account update duties, the $2,000 dental maximum every two years and the services it covers, emergency treatment for pain relief only, the once-a-year prescription glasses rule, the hearing items and preauthorization route, and the 1-866-866-0800 contact number.