Victoria Scraps Planned MSP Premium Hikes
Victoria, B.C. – The provincial government says its strong fiscal performance has allowed them to cancel their planned 4% increase to MSP premiums.
It also means those eligible for Regular Premium Assistance will see a 4% reduction of their premium beyond what was announced in this year’s provincial budget.
Cancelling the January premium increase will save adults up to $36 per year. Today’s changes also mean a single parent with two children will only be charged the single adult rate, rather than the three-person rate they pay today – saving this family $900 per year.
“B.C.’s strong economic growth and better-than-forecast revenues are paying dividends for British Columbians,” said Finance Minister Mike de Jong.
“The changes we’ve made to MSP, both in Budget 2016 and today, mean that people will see their premiums reduced or eliminated, and no premiums will increase in 2017. Cancelling the planned rate increase and reducing the amount that people on premium assistance pay is yet another step toward fairer and progressive funding for health care.”
The government says MSP premiums account for only about 13% of the overall health-care budget and other taxes like corporate income tax, sales tax, natural resource and other government revenues are all required to help fund the cost of health care.
In 2016-2017, total health-care spending is forecast to be more than $19 billion, or 42% of all government spending.
Comments
Ya Mike I know you have done such a wonderful job on how the province is run and you wont have to charge us any more for MSP premiums not to mention an election is coming. So full of it.
Well let the NDP in and watch the crap fest they perpetrate on this province and its citizens. We will be racing to the bottom right along side Alberta and Ontario. The NDP can take a have province and turn it into a have-not province in less then half a term.
The Alberta NDP were left with a mess that took 43 years of neocon nut bars giving away everything including the farm to foriegn corporations . Leaving those corps the rights to trample people and nations into the ground . Polluting air , water and soil . Our corperate run idiot in Victoria is following the same path . Mean while the fastest growing employment in Alberta is in the solar power build out . Why ? Because of the money .
Let’s not forget about the tens of BILLIONS of dollars that Alberta has contributed to “have not” provinces in the form of equalization payments!
Since you used the word “idiot”, let’s remember that there are lots of idiots who are quick to condemn Alberta while at the same time these same idiots are slow to acknowledge what Alberta has contributed!
Interesting article on the very last page of today’s Prince George Citizen:
“Alberta offering funding for renewables”
“Alberta will offer financial aid to renewable power projects worth $10.5 BILLION to achieve its goal of having 30 percent of its power come from renewables by 2030.”
Lots of “green” people complained about tax breaks and subsidies to the nasty oil and gas industry. I wonder if they will also complain about the tax breaks and subsidies that are and will flow to renewables, none of which in my opinion seem to be able to generate any reasonable amount of power while also being economically viable!
Ataloss, what do you think? Will you be complaining about this $10.5 BILLION in subsidies as much as you complain about tax breaks and/or subsidies to the oil, gas and coal sectors?
…and since you also mentioned neocon nut bars, how about the Parliamentary Budget Officers report that Justin requested, the one that did in FACT confirm that the Harper neocon nut bars left a surplus budget, a surplus budget that Justin and Co. choose to ignore as they piss away money like drunken sailors!
Oh, but we’re not supposed to mention that, are we!!
People have a short memory, so they may just step into it again with both feet! One would think that ten years of racing to the bottom would have cured them for a very long time, but anything is possible!
It’s an election ploy.
If they had a 4% increase planned they should have kept it and dumped that money into our healthcare system for more beds, or maybe into housing assistance for our low income seniors.
I like the reduction for those eligible for assistance because every penny does count for some, but I think the increase should have gone through and been used for something that we really need.
Buying votes off the backs of people that need a hospital bed, or extended care is a BS way to try and get elected.
Better yet, maybe a government can (for a change) actually start being financially responsible and everyone will do better.
What are you talking about? They just had a 1.9 billion dollar surplus – that is where this comes from
You want buying votes – the NDP had ICBC send every policy holder a check in 2000 to buy an election
Christy still continues to get msp premiums from folks over 65. Not something other provinces do.
Clap, clap, clap; the perfect example of a pre-election Lib/Con false positive spin story. People easily distracted by fireworks will fall for this story.
.youtube.com/watch?v=XsRbDgCN2xc
I would gladly pay another 4% if crusty stops charging our seniors for MSP..
But we all know her tactics…this is just another way she is ” buying” our votes..she is pathetic at best.
“I would gladly pay another 4% if crusty stops charging our seniors for MSP” .. Anyone who cant afford it, senior or otherwise doesn’t pay any premiums if you are under a certain income level. Why should anyone who CAN afford premiums not pay them just because they are a senior? I am getting close to being one of those seniors and if my income affords me to pay premiums I have no problem with that since a couple of visits to a doctor pretty much eats up all the premiums you pay for the entire year. If my income doesn’t allow me to afford it then luckily we have a sliding scale model that subsidizes you based on income.
I’d like nothing more than to see the MSP premiums disappear, but I also understand that we would likely see an increase in other taxes in order to make up for the premiums currently being paid. The money has to come from somewhere!
If personal taxes go up, it might be more “fair” as the richest will pay more and the poor will pay less and by poor, I mean that ones that don’t already qualify for premium assistance.
In my opinion, the abolition of MSP premiums should ultimately save money as we would no longer need the services of the large number of bill collectors, payment processors, etc at MSP.
Get rid of MSP premiums and get rid of the people currently needed to run the system! Right? Oh wait, those calling for an end to the MSP premiums will be the first to defend the government jobs that would no longer be required! Kind of a Catch 22, right?
Ha Ha Ha, you got that right, Hart. Well done!
Ahhhh come on now Hart Guy!
Everyone knows that all the money for Health, Education, Welfare, etc etc comes from that magic money tree on the front lawn of the Legislature!
I’m sure all that needs to happen if MSP premiums were cancelled altogether is for someone to go out and shake it a little harder!
In reality that Magic Money Tree is you and I the tax payer! And most of us are already getting shaken enough! God (My apologies to the lefty atheists) help us if the Lefties ever get back into power as we will be in a constant state of convulsion from all the shaking that will be happening!
Gee, just imagine how much Health, Education, Welfare, etc, etc, $40 Billion dollars could buy!
“Canadians for Tax Fairness crunched the numbers and found that Canadian corporations invested almost $40 billion last year in the top 10 tax haven destinations for Canadian capital — taking investment totals since 1990 to $270.2 billion.”
.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-corporate-tax-haven-1.3554910
Hey everyone, I think I found that “Magic Money Tree” too bad its growing in a place where we can’t touch it!!!
Nothing to do with BC MSP payments – maybe get your boy Trudeau Jr on this
Well we all know Harper, and his Conservatives, didn’t do one damn thing about it!
JGalt, you should “Google” how much money was NOT invested in Alberta and in Canada for that matter, now that Alberta has Notley and her NDP and Ottawa has Justin and his Liberals!
BILLIONS are still being invested and are still creating tax-paying jobs in the oil and gas industry, but the BILLIONS are being invested in places other than Alberta and Canada!
Thanks for nothing Rachel and Justin!
Nor the Liberals before them… yawn
You should have got on that a few years back
And tell me Jgalt… Who can change the tax code to rectify that situation? Is it not part of the Federal Tax Code? And who is in charge of the federal tax code?
Certainly not our provincial government.
It is the far more left leaning people in Ottawa!
Maybe it’s their tree that needs to be shaken!
Hey, good job passing the buck NyteHawwk, just like an uncaring, out-to-lunch provincial government when it comes to tax loopholes and cheats in the Vancouver Real Estate Market.
Here is a two day old story about the Vancouver mayor wanting cheats caught, and the CRA to look into real estate speculators.
.news1130.com/2016/09/13/national-revenue-minister-asks-cra-to-investigate-bc-real-estate-speculators/
Our provincial government has been totally AWOL on this issue, this tends to happen when right wing ideology dictates that governments should not intervene, and that markets can correct themselves. So tell the rest of us; how does “greed” correct itself?
Now we are discussing a subject that has some substance, and not some “oh we planned on raising MSP Premiums, but now we are not” non-story meant to make this troop of clowns government look good!
Not raising MSP premiums and saving single parents a pile of cash along with a 1.9 billion dollar surplus makes them look good yeah
Speculating in real estate is not illegal, our city does its fair share of it on our nickel – maybe the CRA can take a peek at that?
The NDP are good at two things, getting rid of all the high paying jobs and replacing them with minimum wage jobs, and running up such massive debts that even basic needs cannot be covered. Investing in welfare is the worst investment you can make.
I remember the headlines at the time when the NDP called welfare recipients “cheats, deadbeats and varmints.”
I am no fan of Christy and the so called Liberals, and therefore will vote for someone other than the Liberals or the NDP.
The NDP have absolutely nothing to offer the people of this Province. The Liberals on the other hand are hell bent to take as much from us as possible.
All of them ie; Liberals, NDP, and the Civil Service, Municipalities, Government entities, etc; are living high off the hog on taxpayers dollars and have been doing so for years.
Its time for all Government to get their hands the hell out of our wallets, and to start to earn the huge salaries and benefits we have been paying them.
Those who work for the Government or its entities should take a five year freeze on salaries and benefits. The Governments should start taking a hard look at reducing spending.
Spending huge amounts of money for no other reason than to get re elected is a mugs game and has to stop.
As long as we support either the NDP or the Liberals, we are going to continue to get screwed.
Time for a change, if for no other reason than to show these two parties that enough is enough.
Have a nice day.
A single gets full premium assistance if their net income is 22,000.00 or less. However if they’re married they are allowed only 3000.00 more..This hasn’t changed for decades.
Why would anyone claim married if they can make 44,000 as two singles, and only 25,000 as married?
The tax system has always made married pay more. Even two single people living together pay less income tax than if they were married, even more biased if either of them have children
The net income has now changed to 24,000 from 22,000
Just a quick count reveals that Hart Guy hs 4 of the 17 comments on this strory. Almost 25% of the opinions expressed. I guess you have to beek off lots to be noticed.
Oldun, I’m not the only one with 4 comments, just in case you hadn’t noticed, haha!
Damn, now I’m at 5!
Cheers! ;-)
MSP has been raised at 5% each year over the last 5 years. MSP has 3 levels of payment 1. single person 2. Couple (meaning 2 adults) and 3. Family. However as of January 1 2017 they will took discontinued the 3 levels. There will be 2 levels single and family rate. This means a cpl with no children pays the same as a family. So it will be an increase as of January 1st for a couple.
False, there will be no more MSP premiums for children under 18, thus no more family rate. A couple will pay the same as they did before.
MSP rates will be determined by the number of adults on a MSP account. Up to 24,000.00 adjusted net income will pay zero MSP. Adjusted net is 3,000.00 off for every child and adult over 65 years of age.
A senior will have 24,000.00 plus 3,000.00 or 27,000.00 net before premiums kick in. A married senior couple will have 30,000.00 net before paying any MSP
ht tp://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/premiums
Christy and Mikey buying votes again. All the Con crows on this site will be happy with the lump of coal disguised as something shiny. After the election, it will be an 8% increase as Mikey opines that the “economy has worsened, resulting in the need to raise MSP by even more than originally planned”.
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