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Service BC contact centres will now offer support for health insurance benefits.

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B.C. health insurance benefits now part of Service BC

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 11:44 PST, Mon February 1, 2021

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Contact centre support for Health Insurance BC benefits and pharmaceutical programs and services is now provided at the Service BC provincial contact centre.

This means people needing help with their benefits for Medical Services Plan (MSP), Pharmacare and Fair Pharmacare can get the information or assistance they need, quicker and easier. It also includes new access to the Service BC provincial contact centre texting service and translation services in more than 140 languages.

"This is about making people's interactions with government easier and improving their experiences," said Citizens’ Services Minister Lisa Beare. "For the first time, people who need help with MSP and Pharmacare benefits can speak to us in the language of their choice and also text us their questions. It's one more step in our work to make government services more accessible for everyone."

This is the largest permanent set of services to be brought into the Service BC provincial contact centre since its creation in 2016. The number of staff at the centre is increasing by approximately 100 employees to ensure resources are available to manage health insurance call volumes. Around 90 of these employees were part of the health insurance contact centre under the previous contract and will bring their working knowledge to their new positions. They have also been provided additional training to ensure full knowledge of the suite of services available under the Service BC banner.

"We are focused on delivering quality, appropriate and cost-effective health-care services to all British Columbians," said Health Minister Adrian Dix. "As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming increasingly important to modernize services and supports and to capitalize on opportunities for greater operational flexibility. Shifting the Health Insurance BC contact centre operations to Service BC meets that need."

In 65 locations throughout B.C., Service BC centres have MSP pamphlets and forms on hand and will accept completed forms on behalf of MSP. These offices provide information on enrolment, renewal of enrolment, getting a BC Services Card, Premium Assistance and the status of MSP accounts. They also accept address changes and premium payments.

For support or questions about MSP benefit services, Service BC provincial contact centre customer service agents are available to assist Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Pacific time). An automated service is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide general information about MSP benefits and services.

For questions about PharmaCare, customer service agents are available to assist Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except statutory holidays) and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Pacific time), except statutory holidays.