Taxpayers Federation to Target MSP Premiums in 2015
Prince George, B.C. – The BC director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has set a special New Year’s resolution for 2015 – fight increases to the medical services plan (MSP).
“MSP is by far the worst tax we have in B.C. because whether you make $30,000 a year or $3 million a year – you pay the same monthly fee,” says Jordan Bateman.
“The government likes to paint it as an insurance premium but the truth is if it was health care insurance you’d actually get a discount if you were living a healthy lifestyle and of course you don’t.”
Starting January 1st families of three or more will pay $66 more a year, couples $60 more a year, and $33 more for individuals (4% increase across the board).
(Those earning less than $22,000 a year pay no MSP, those earning above $22,000 a year to just under $30,000 pay premiums on a sliding scale).
“It’s the grinchiest tax we have because it’s one of the few taxes they raise on January 1st every year (for the past six years). So two weeks before Christmas you get your bill and low and behold – another tax increase.”
He says only BC and Ontario have MPS premiums noting Ontario’s is “much lower and progressive.”
Bateman says enough is enough.
“One of my long term goals for the fall is to try and put some more pressure on the provincial government to at least stop the increases and to start looking at ways to make it fairer.”
For a full listing of tax and fee increases in 2015 look here.
Comments
You don’t pay monthly premiums in Ontario, it gets calculated as a lump sum component of your Provincial Income Taxes when you file your tax return. It is based on your taxable income and as of last year, it ranges from zero (taxable income under $20K) to $900 (taxable income over $200,600).
What Mr. Bateman doesn’t say, however, is that BC has lower provincial income tax rates than Ontario. One can’t only look at the MSP premiums, they have to look at the overall tax load given that the premiums alone would not be sufficient to offset the costs of the medical system. If BC had Ontario’s tax rates, their MSP premiums could almost certainly be lowered, but then you’d be out of pocket on the other end of the equation.
It doesn’t matter how you look at it, medical systems are expensive to operate and we have to fund them.
$33 for individuals ????
I got news for you
single retired and making just over $23,ooo and I am paying
with taxes $72.oo per month,
where does this $33 come from?????????????
I think the $33 is the annual total increase bracer, not the monthly amount.
Sorry bcracer . . . stupid autocorrect!
Since when does the definition of insurance include the notion of a discount?
Posted on Sunday, January 4, 2015 @ 6:25 AM by bcracer
$33 for individuals ????
I got news for you
single retired and making just over $23,ooo and I am paying
with taxes $72.oo per month,
———–
And that 72 dollars doesn’t come anywhere near to covering what it costs the medical system to look after the average retiree per month.
Either you pay it as an MSP premium, or it’s hidden somewhere else. Either way, you’re paying it.
And like NMG says, the medical system is only going to get more expensive and it needs to be funded somehow.
Is it the medical system that’s is causing the increase or is it the administration that’s eating up the funds? As you remember a few years back they spent $13 million on an administration wing at the PG hospital. And why is the top floor of the hospital used for storage?
Cheers
It is extremely inexpensive for what we get. We are very lucky to live in this province and this country, and should appreciate it.
Retired: “Is it the medical system that’s is causing the increase or is it the administration that’s eating up the funds?”
The medical system includes the administration, and yes, I agree that it’s eating a lot of the costs.
http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/premium.html
Check this out BCracer, you shouldn’t be paying what you say you are paying.
Problem is, they won’t tell you about it. You have to find out the info yourself and apply for the discount. Get on it.
How about a surcharge for the nervous nellies that run off to emergency everytime one of their kids sneezes?
Maybe a tax on McD and the like too, similar to the transit tax.
Go ahead and raise the tax on smokes and alcohol some more too.
Now we are gettin somewhere ;)
Take a wander through the new wing of our hospital, a majority is offices.. We need to fire northern health and get a efficient health care system in place, northern health is a leech on our funds… Management heavy. One manager for every 4 people is plain ludicrous.
The sad thing, P Val, is that the Country is filled with organizations like Northern Health.
JB you have that right, anything being paid for by joe tax payer seem to be management heavy.
thank Huh , I think I will be making a phone call to vitoria tomorrow….
The big problem is the medical system has been set up to treat some particular disease, whereas it should have been set up to treat the patients. So if you’re suffering from the right disease, you get treated effectively. If not, get in line and hope they get to you before you die. It can’t be any other way when a ‘bureaucracy’ determines what is needed, and there’s no other ‘feedback’ mechanism through accounting allowed.
The old ‘voluntary’ BC Medical Plan that WAC Bennett brought in to ‘augment’ private medical plans like MSA, and make coverage available to those who couldn’t get coverage under those private plans, was much more efficient. Once we swallowed the NDP’s line that having a government run monopoly BC Medical Services Plan would be better because everyone would be forced to contribute to it, those whose salaries it paid, doctors, nurses, support workers, and administrators, realised they’d hit paydirt! For the government has endlessly ‘deep pockets’, which it can always go back to the taxpayer to refill.
My wife and I were paying $125.50. Now it’s $130.50 per month.
Northern Health is the largest employer in northern BC. That is why our health care costs are going up.
Administration is continuing to grow while there are people still lining the hallways at our emergency department.
Sure would like to hear what the plan is going forward! Not so sure whether the focus is on health care or serving the sick.
Compared to what they pay in the states, I’d say we get a hell of a deal here.
Comments for this article are closed.