If I go to school outside of Nova Scotia, am I still covered by MSI?
By Krista DeKuyper | June 20, 2023 |
Many students opt to study outside their home province for a variety of reasons such as academic programs, career prospects, and personal preferences. However, one concern that students often have is if I go to school outside of Nova Scotia, am I still covered by MSI? In this blog post, we will discuss whether students who are covered by MSI in Nova Scotia will still be covered while studying in another province.
What is MSI?
Before we dive into the details, let’s first understand what MSI is. MSI, or the Medical Services Insurance Program, is funded by the Nova Scotia government that provides eligible residents with basic medically necessary hospital and physician services. MSI covers a range of services, including doctor visits, hospital stays, diagnostic tests, and surgeries. In order to be eligible for MSI, you must have a valid Nova Scotia Health Card.
If I go to school outside of Nova Scotia, am I still covered by MSI
If you have MSI and you are studying outside Nova Scotia, you are still eligible for MSI coverage. You will need to provide proof of full-time studies in order to keep your coverage. However, the coverage you receive may vary depending on the circumstances. If you are temporarily studying outside Nova Scotia, your MSI coverage will continue as usual. This means that you will have access to the same medically necessary hospital and physician services as you would in Nova Scotia.
Post-secondary education outside Nova Scotia
If you have decided to attend post-secondary education outside of Nova Scotia and will be living there permanently, you will need to update your health insurance coverage. In this case, you will no longer be eligible for MSI coverage as you will no longer be considered a resident of Nova Scotia. You will need to apply for health insurance coverage in the province or territory where you will be living.
When you move to another province, you usually have a waiting period before you are eligible for healthcare benefits from your new province. In the meantime, you may need to purchase temporary coverage to ensure you are protected in case of any medical emergencies. This waiting period and temporary coverage may vary depending on the province or territory where you will be living.
What happens if MSI does not cover me?
If you are not covered by MSI and do not have coverage from your new province, you may need to pay out of pocket for medical services. The cost of these services can be quite expensive, so it’s essential to take steps to obtain health insurance coverage as soon as possible.
Additional options for healthcare coverage
If you do not qualify for MSI or are ineligible for health insurance coverage in the province or territory where you will be living, there are additional options for healthcare coverage. One option is to find our whether your school provides health insurance coverage to their students. Most of the time it is included in your tuition and schools give an option to opt out. But this can be a great affordable alternative to health insurance coverage while you’re studying outside of Nova Scotia.
However, there are very affordable private health insurance options like Manulife Flexcare or Manulife’s student travel insurance. Made for Canadian students studying in another province or territory.
To see for yourself what kind of insurance is available to you, use our instant quoting tool!
Conclusion
In summary, if you have MSI and are temporarily studying outside of Nova Scotia, you will still be covered by MSI. However, if you plan to attend post-secondary education outside of Nova Scotia permanently, you will no longer be eligible for MSI coverage and will need to apply for health insurance coverage in the province or territory where you will be living. If you find yourself in a situation where you are not covered by MSI or your new province’s health insurance plan, additional options such as private health insurance can help provide the coverage you need to protect yourself in case of any medical emergencies.
