Advise and thoughts please. I am recently retired and 60. Just had a longish trip to South America (3 months) and loved it. All the people I met were on trips of a year or more. I would like to head back to South America (not a single place) and possibly carry on to other continents for more than a year. I have no interest in immigrating just want to see the world. As a BC resident what do I have to worry about in terms of BC med? Are there any other gotchas to watch for? How have the rest of you done it?

You will want / need to buy extended travel medical insurance. Money well spent.

Buy Travel Medical Insurance: Don't leave Canada without it.

Al Good advice. Remember it's "excess medical insurance" and you still need to have BC Med - call their toll-free number & get them to email you the terms so you have it in writing. (Former insurance broker/agency manager.)

Even if I go down to Seattle for a day I buy Travel Medical Insurance.

I even buy Travel Medical Ins if I visit another Province!

Sue Caan did you hear that story when we were at BCAA about the lady who had the fall in northern Alberta & had to be airlifted back to BC? Wouldn't have been covered by BC Med.

Sue Caan me too

You might want to check the time frame you are allowed out of Canada and tax implications for residency. I think you are only allowed out of BC for 7 months

Janis Atkinson Carmena I’ve always heard that you can’t be out of BC for more than 7 months or you will lose your bc medical. I think that was what the original question was getting at, not the obvious need for travel insurance as well. I am not certain what has to be done on return home to again be covered by bc medical....

If you have taken your gov pensions you can not be out of Canada more than 6 months a year.

Gloria that’s only for GIS or if you’ve lived in Canada less than 20 years.

Gloria and each province is different now

I’m not entirely sure but if you want to keep your BC med you need to spend so many days in the country ...you could probably find better info on the gov web site or maybe someone knows exactly how many days you need to spend in the country.

Hey Steve - any travel insurance you buy will only be as good as long as you are still covered under BC Medical. There’s a time window that you’re allowed to be outside of Canada in any given year (typically 6 months) but you can play the system a bit and extend that if the timing works out.

A B.C. resident. must spend 183 days per year in B.C. to maintain their medical status!

Eunice I thought it changed to 7 months in 2014?

I got a letter from BC Medical. You can be out of the country for two years if you are a student, working, or retiring. You just wont be able to collect oas after six months unless you come back. $around $600 a month.

The 2 year information is correct. Our son is currently in Japan for 2 years and when we called MSP we were told as long as he comes back before the 2 years is up and contacts the, his MSP stays intact. That means he is covered by MSP (plus the additional out of country insurance he has) for the 2 years and doesn't have a 3 month waiting period to get back on MSP. Our daughter did the same thing when she went to England in 2014 for a 1 1/2 years. The main thing is call MSP yourself and get the information right from them. Neither of our children had to use MSP or extended coverage while away, so I have so experience at that end.

OAS does not go away if you are out of country for 6 months . OAS stays in effect and collectible no matter how long you are out of country , as long as you have met all requirements , of course . The GIS ( Guaranteed Income Supplement ) however , does expire if you are out of Canada for 6 months in a row .

Mahara You can receive your OAS pension benefit payment outside the country if you: resided in Canada for at least 20 years after turning 18; or. lived and worked in a country that has a social security agreement with Canada and you meet the 20-year residence requirement under the provisions of that agreement.Sep 27, 2018

You must advise them one month before you return. I did that and I was immediately back on the system without the three month wait. My hubbie had a heart attack one month after we returned, and no problem.

I had to dig around and finally get my MLA to find the info. Most people don't know about it.

Plus medical quality of care in South America..expensive..not cheap! Ecuador has many retirees..who, have to put up a credit card to ensure treatment, (that is in a private hospital..they don't allow you to leave unless your bill is fully paid) Lots of night mare stories..I know, I was one of them!

Ultimately, the onus is on you...you are responsible! Taking other's advice, often not good..Do your own checking!

If you are out of the province for two years without coming back for 30 days somewhere in there, You lose your msp coverage... Then it’s as if you’re a new Canadian when you return, with a 3 month period of zero coverage. It’s BS, just went through it myself. So, come back before the two years is up for a bit... then continue on your adventure! If you’d like to be a non-resident for tax purposes there are other hoops to jump through. If you don’t mind paying taxes in a country your not living in then no hoops.

It is hard to get travel insurance without MSP.
You can contact them about getting an exemption for a long absence if you want to stop paying MSP while you travel but they only grant that once.

Laura it was very easy for me to get travel insurance without MSP. Took 5 minutes with Manulife.

Elise I wonder if it depends on how long you go for. We traveled for a year and found it hard. But this was with Blue Cross if memory serves. We actually had to buy two policies of six months each.

You get a one time exemption from being in Canada the bulk of the year, per five years (I believe - a link above likely has the info). If you exceed that, there's a short waiting period to get back on BC medical.

For bc med if you are on an extended trip (up to 2 years) you can get your BC MED put on hold- no payments and no waiting period on your return .... as long as you return before 2 years is up.

Robin this is correct but, important to read the fine print for your travel insurance provider which may require you to maintain BC med so they are the first to pay in case of an emergency with the travel insurance paying the remainder of the claim.

Robin, this was a common and feasible option last year before the 50% decrease in MSP payments. The cost of Expat Insurance was comparable, however now it’s much cheaper to maintain the provincial coverage and purchase travel insurance.

I’m currently travelling under the BC Med allowable 2yr absence. Super easy to do. Top up your MSP coverage with Travel Insurance....I recommend world nomads or BCAA, both comparable and allow a fair bit of leeway for pseudo adventure activities including motorcycle/scooter accidents.
There is a 3rd option: maintain “deemed residence” status and purchase Expat Insurance. This will cover you for the 3 month wait upon your return. Quotes available on the net.
I’m paying my MSP and topping it up with world nomads. This allows me 2yrs of world travel.

Will 2nd world nomads. My go to Travel Insurance while abroad.

Chris, it’s travel insurance but you must maintain your MSP. What I like about world nomads is that it can be extended while overseas as any travel insurance has coverage for only 1yr terms.

One final point to consider is your OAS. The absence (deemed residence) is NOT counted towards your OAS. Not a big deal if you were living in Canada since the age of 18, but can make a difference if you emigrated.

www.snowbirds.org 150 days in bc for coverage
SNOWBIRDS.ORG
The CSA - Voice of Travelling Canadians - Canadian Snowbird Association

Talk to an expert. Asking rando’s on FB for this type of advice is nuts!!

Convert all paper mail to electronic; have someone trusted receive your forwarded mail (easy to activate and extend a temporary mail forwarding on Canada post website); you can sign up for CRA’s autofile option if you’ll be away at tax time - most everything else can be automated such as bill payments for utilities etc; if you are renting out your home while absent from it hire a property manager - yes, it cuts into the bottom line but what’s the price of peace of mind when you don’t have to find an emergency plumber with a 9 hour time difference? We are currently 1 Year in to a 2 yr road trip so feel free to pm me for anything

MSP premiums eliminated on Jan 01 2020

Susan doesn’t matter .. you still need to be a resident to have the benefits

Of course one needs to be a resident.

Following

This is a great thread! Great places to look up info

Just have good travel medical insurance coverage for up to 1 year and confirm before you go if you need anything else for some countries!
you should go from Argentina over to South Africa. It is so beautiful along the southern beach route from Cape Town to Port elizabeth and through the wine country. Maldives from there are also amazing! Congrats on the retirement and enjoy every second!!

Lara got me looking at new places.

Following

You can only be away from Canada for 6 months, after that you can lose for Medical Service Plan.

Evi varies by province. BC allows you to be away 7 months.

I am not sure, but I think if you are back several weeks the go again it might be fine. Best to check.

I believe there is a form you fill out for an extended absence.

Following

Please provide links people! Someone’s opinion will get you in trouble and you will be the only one to blame!

Now that Canada is implementing exit controls some of us should be concerned about losing residency. Sucks to have your drivers licence revoked while you're off on a three year gallavant

Jerin driving is overrated. If only they allow uber in.

Meghan

I’ve moved to Australia for one, maybe two years. I had to tell Revenue Canada this information for tax purposes before I left. This would also stop me owing MSP.
I lost my BC drivers license and called ICBC go get them to send me a new one (at this time hadn’t applied for an Australian one yet). Since I had been gone for 7 months at that time, ICBC would not give me a drivers license because I was technically no longer a resident of BC.
Basically, if you do not pay taxes or MSP for more than 6 months you are not contributing so are removed as a resident. It’s beneficial to stop paying as soon as you leave.
Once I move back to BC I will have to apply for health care, which takes 3 months of living in BC to activate.
I’m not sure if it will be the same for you since you’re retired, but I would call Canada Revenue to find out.

Elise, this is correct and the definition of an Ex-pat: holding CA citizenship but not paying taxes. You lose your CA benefits. However it’s not the only option. You can be classified as a “deemed resident” which means you pay CA taxes on Canadian income, such as a pension, and retain all your benefits. However...if your working overseas this usually means paying taxes in 2 countries. It depends where your money originates.
You cannot make money in Canada (such as investments or pension) and not pay taxes. Conversely you cannot make money in another country, not paying Canadian taxes and expect CA benefits such as Drivers Licenses.

*

Residents
A person must be a B.C. resident to qualify for medical coverage under MSP. A resident is a person who meets all of the following conditions:
must be a citizen of Canada or be lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence;
must make his or her home in B.C.; and
must be physically present in B.C. at least six months in a calendar year, or a shorter prescribed period.*
* Eligible B.C. residents (citizens of Canada or persons who are lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence) who are outside B.C. for vacation purposes only, are allowed a total absence of up to seven months in a calendar year.

Quote from BC MSP

Harry,
Are you a deemed resident?
You are a deemed resident of Canada for tax purposes if you are in one of the following situations:
You sojourned in Canada for 183 days or more (the 183-day rule) in the tax year, do not have significant residential ties with Canada, and are not considered a resident of another country under the terms of a tax treaty between Canada and that country

Harry, quote from Gov CA website.
There is a difference between “factual resident” and “deemed resident”
You can be a deemed resident and maintain your MSP coverage for up to 2yrs. The 183 Rule, often used by Snowbirds is for Factual Residency

Following

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/.../managin.../leaving-bc-temporarily
WWW2.GOV.BC.CA
Leaving B.C. Temporarily

We’d like to do 2 months next summer... Starting in Peru. Would you consider giving some suggestions or advice?

I believe you are given a “once in a lifetime” where you can be out of Canada for two years, continue to pay your MSP and to have benefits. MSP has good benefits for the traveller.

Eloise, you have to be in Canada 6+ months a year for five years and then you can utilize the 2yr option. There is no restrictions as to how many times you can utilize it.

Bill you may be right. I had imagined that the person has been here a long time....and since I pursued this perhaps the rule has changed. But if one can do it an unlimited number of times, then......

Eloise, yes but only every 5 yrs. you have to meet that one and only requirement.

Everyone would want to check the website linked a few times here. Good info regarding the 2 years out of country, every 5 years:
In some circumstances, while temporarily outside the province for work or vacation, individuals may retain eligibility for coverage during an ‘extended absence’ of up to 24 consecutive months, once in a 60 month (five year) period.

I have expatriates numerous times, but always make my way back to BC every other month as I have a business there. I've kept my medical by still paying my premium

**

We were in s America for a year cycling and purchased travel health insurance while continuing paying for our BC health premiums. No worries there, just a bit of cash.
However now we live in Indonesia. We no longer pay our the health premiums (we’ve been gone for three years) and are not covered in Canada through Canada’s health care.
We have purchased independent international health insurance, but I’d say there’s no need for you if you plan to live in Canada every year.

I agree with Tammy- we gave up our Canadian MSP when moving overseas and when we moved back we had to go through a 3 month waiting period to get our MSP reinstated. It was very stressful. We did it for tax reasons at the time but I don’t recommend it. Just keep paying premiums.

Thanks everyone got some great ideas and made some calls. It’s relatively easy.

Misty Brookvale

Misty Brookvale