Applying for Benefits for Newborns Now Easier in B.C.
VICTORIA – Now B.C. parents of newborns can apply for their baby’s Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage at the same time they register their child’s birth, announced Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon.
New parents are now able to use a single application form to apply for a number of child benefits and services including MSP, the Canada Child Tax Benefit, Social Insurance Number (SIN) and birth certificate.
“We are continually looking for new ways to enhance services to provide the best results for British Columbians,” said Falcon. “By giving parents of newborns the opportunity to apply for the benefits their child needs through the birth registration process, we are reducing the duplication of information and hopefully making this exciting and hectic time for new parents a little less stressful.”
All new parents are required to register the birth of a child and a registration of live birth form is provided to all new mothers by their health care provider when a baby is born. Now new mothers who provide consent on the birth registration form will have their child’s birth information automatically released to Health Insurance BC (HIBC), the agency that administers MSP, through a secure communication network. HIBC will then process the application and determine the child’s eligibility for coverage.
On June 15, 2009, in partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency, B.C. launched the Automated Benefits Application service, which gives the parents of newborns access to federal programs such as the Universal Child Care Benefit, the Canada Child Tax Benefit, and the goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit as well as any related provincial/territorial programs such as the B.C. Family Bonus.
The same process applies for SIN applications through a partnership with Service Canada.
Additionally, parents may order official birth certificates through the registration of live birth form. These certificates provide legal proof of the name, date of birth and place of birth of the child. The fee to obtain a B.C. birth certificate remains at $27.
B.C. has also recently introduced 42 commemorative birth certificates, including 36 new certificates based on artwork by B.C. artist Carol Christianson that depict scenes from various regions of the province. These large decorative certificates are not legal documentation. Instead, they are meant as keepsakes to honour the birth of a child. Commemoratives certificates are $50 each, and can be purchased for any individual born in B.C.
For more information on registering the birth of a newborn, the benefits application process or ordering a birth certificate, please visit www.vs.gov.bc.ca.
