Should MSP be reformed or abolished?

[kurtzfan]

My friend used to be international student here. He did not pay MSP the remaining months before he graduated. He still could manage to go back to his hometown. 

What's your thoughts?

 

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has dug up figures it says proves the BC government has been writing off MSP premiums that haven’t been collected.

A Freedom Of Information request put the cost for MSP tax debt at $340 million over the last six years.

Finance Minister Mike De Jong wasn’t able to say whether the government will be trying to recoup any of that cash.

“We take the obligations seriously, and happily the vast majority of British Columbians take the obligation to remit MSP premiums seriously… now there are circumstances where people find themselves in distress.”

De Jong believes MSP has been made as affordable as possible and calls the system fair but admits sometimes people can’t pay. “That can account for a portion but not all; we have obviously increased the premium assistance available to lower income British Columbians and seniors.”

Jordan Bateman with the CTF disagrees, pointing out the government can legally try and get the money back, but writing it off in the meantime makes that unlikely.

He says the hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid premiums prove the taxes are unfair and inefficient.

“Now is the time for some substantial changes to make it fair,” he argues. “The premier herself has called the system antiquated; fortunately she has the power to change it.”

The BC government hiked MSP premiums in the latest provincial budget.

[Warhippy]

We pay in no matter what.  But it has been shown repeatedly that this money does not all go to health care, that collection and billing are unfair, that the government does not inform people when they are being billed or their plans have expired resulting in bills totaling hundreds or thousands of dollars.

 

Screw MSP

[Armada]

I have yet to pay at the age of 23 and am aware there may be a potentially large bill for me. However, they've done a really crap job at getting me to pay. 

[kurtzfan]

27 minutes ago, Armada said:

I have yet to pay at the age of 23 and am aware there may be a potentially large bill for me. However, they've done a really crap job at getting me to pay. 

But if your income is lower than 20,000, you don t have pay anything for MSP

[VegasCanuck]

Having lived with the US system, you really want MSP to stay. Do you really want a system where things can spiral quickly out of control? There are families in the US paying $1000 per month for insurance that still has a $7000 to $10,000 per year deductable.

 

I know very few people down here who don't have medical debt that they are paying. and by medical debt, I mean 10k to 50k range.

 

Canadians often don't know how good they have it!

[Warhippy]

3 minutes ago, VegasCanuck said:

Having lived with the US system, you really want MSP to stay. Do you really want a system where things can spiral quickly out of control? There are families in the US paying $1000 per month for insurance that still has a $7000 to $10,000 per year deductable.

 

I know very few people down here who don't have medical debt that they are paying. and by medical debt, I mean 10k to 50k range.

 

Canadians often don't know how good they have it!

Don't I know it man.  When I worked in the US I was covered under Nucor/Bar Mills plan and I had a few wicked cuts that needed stitching some burns etc, my cheapest visit for simple stitches was $1100, my most expensive was $4700

 

All covered but man...ridiculous really

[goalie13]

The money has to come from somewhere, but I believe the whole MSP system is a poor way to go about it.  They should just roll it into the income tax system.  That's not a perfect system either, but it's probably better than what we are doing.