Medical Services Plan
Encyclopedia
The Medical Services Plan of British Columbia (MSP) is the government-administered single-payer health insurance
scheme in the Canadian
province
of British Columbia
, operating under the auspices of the country's national Medicare
program. Under the Canadian constitution, provinces are responsible for the delivery of health care, while the national Canada Health Act
ensures access to universal health care
for all citizens of the country.
The plan covers medically required services provided by a physician
enrolled with MSP; maternity care provided by a physician or a midwife; medically required eye examination
s provided by an ophthalmologist
or optometrist
; diagnostic services, including x-ray
s and laboratory
services, provided at approved diagnostic facilities, when ordered by a registered physician, midwife, podiatrist, dental surgeon or oral surgeon; dental and oral surgery
, when medically required to be performed in hospital
; and orthodontic services
related to severe congenital facial abnormalities.
MSP claims processing system is integrated with a web-based telecommunications system Teleplan
. Teleplan is used by practitioners to securely submit from over 4,200 computer sites their claims, notes and eligibility requests to MSP, and receive payment statements, rejected claims and patient eligibility data from MSP through an encrypted Internet connection. Teleplan receives and processes over 5 million claims monthly, valued at approximately $116 million. Approximately 95% of all claims are processed within 30 days, with the majority being paid within 14 days. Billing software is developed for these sites by over 80 software vendors who are registered with MSP. An association called Medical Software Vendors Association (MSVA) is formed by the major vendors to work with MSP for ongoing specifications and or method changes. Teleplan was started in late 1980s, went through many specification and technological changes and is MSP's main gateway of medical claim information.
As of April 2005, Health Insurance BC is the new name for administrative operations of the Medical Services Plan (MSP) and PharmaCare, including Fair PharmaCare.
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
scheme in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, operating under the auspices of the country's national Medicare
Medicare (Canada)
Medicare is the unofficial name for Canada's publicly funded universal health insurance system. The formal terminology for the insurance system is provided by the Canada Health Act and the health insurance legislation of the individual provinces and territories.Under the terms of the Canada Health...
program. Under the Canadian constitution, provinces are responsible for the delivery of health care, while the national Canada Health Act
Canada Health Act
The Canada Health Act is a piece of Canadian federal legislation, adopted in 1984, which specifies the conditions and criteria with which the provincial and territorial health insurance programs must conform in order to receive federal transfer payments under the Canada Health Transfer...
ensures access to universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
for all citizens of the country.
The plan covers medically required services provided by a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
enrolled with MSP; maternity care provided by a physician or a midwife; medically required eye examination
Eye examination
An eye examination is a battery of tests performed by an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or orthoptist assessing vision and ability to focus on and discern objects, as well as other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes....
s provided by an ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
or optometrist
Optometry
Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
; diagnostic services, including x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
s and laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
services, provided at approved diagnostic facilities, when ordered by a registered physician, midwife, podiatrist, dental surgeon or oral surgeon; dental and oral surgery
Oral Surgery
Oral Surgery is a recognized international specialty in dentistry. It includes the diagnosis, surgical and related treatment of diseases, injuries and defects involving both the functional and esthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues of the head, mouth, teeth, gums, jaws and neck.It involves,...
, when medically required to be performed in hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
; and orthodontic services
Orthodontics
Orthodontics, orthodontia, or orthodonture is the first specialty of dentistry that is concerned with the study and treatment of malocclusions , which may be a result of tooth irregularity, disproportionate jaw relationships, or both...
related to severe congenital facial abnormalities.
MSP claims processing system is integrated with a web-based telecommunications system Teleplan
Teleplan
Teleplan International N.V. is one of the suppliers of high-tech after-market services and provides "total lifecycle care solutions" for the world of Computers, Communications and Consumer Electronics . The "lifecycle care concept" ranges from simple repairs to the most sophisticated technological...
. Teleplan is used by practitioners to securely submit from over 4,200 computer sites their claims, notes and eligibility requests to MSP, and receive payment statements, rejected claims and patient eligibility data from MSP through an encrypted Internet connection. Teleplan receives and processes over 5 million claims monthly, valued at approximately $116 million. Approximately 95% of all claims are processed within 30 days, with the majority being paid within 14 days. Billing software is developed for these sites by over 80 software vendors who are registered with MSP. An association called Medical Software Vendors Association (MSVA) is formed by the major vendors to work with MSP for ongoing specifications and or method changes. Teleplan was started in late 1980s, went through many specification and technological changes and is MSP's main gateway of medical claim information.
As of April 2005, Health Insurance BC is the new name for administrative operations of the Medical Services Plan (MSP) and PharmaCare, including Fair PharmaCare.
See also
- British Columbia Ambulance ServiceBritish Columbia Ambulance ServiceThe British Columbia Ambulance Service is the sole ambulance service and provider of pre-hospital emergency care in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It operates under the Emergency and Health Services Commission and the Provincial Health Services Authority, and is tasked with the...
- E-CommE-Comm' is the Emergency Communications for Southwest British Columbia.E-Comm provides 9-1-1 service for the Lower Mainland region of southwest British Columbia in Canada covering Metro Vancouver , the Sunshine Coast Regional District, south Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and the Whistler Howe Sound...
, 9-1-1 call and dispatch centre for Southwestern BC - Emergency Social ServicesEmergency Social ServicesEmergency Social Services now becoming Emergency Support Services is a component of the Provincial Emergency Program of the Province of British Columbia. ESS are those services required to preserve the well-being of people affected by an emergency or disaster...
- HealthLink BC
- List of emergency organizations in British Columbia
External links
- Health Insurance BC, health.gov.bc.ca.
- Medical Services Plan of British Columbia, healthservices.gov.bc.ca.
- Teleplan: Claims Submission and Processing, healthservices.gov.bc.ca.
- Medical Software Vendors Association, msva.ca.