Then, the BC MSP office reached out to Sanctuary Health and
asked to meet as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, we met with leadership of BC MSP and
Pharmaceutical Services. They agreed that all BC-born babies deserve and are
eligible for health coverage under MSP. The MSP office said they would work with Sanctuary Health to make sure
babies who had previously had their applications rejected would get coverage.
They also committed to eliminating the whatever registration barriers had been
preventing these babies from getting MSP coverage so that no family faces
rejection in the future. We need to confirm that the registration barriers have been lifted for
future applicants - then we'll know for sure whether this issue has been
resolved. However, we are cautiously hopeful that for some BC families, life is
about to get a whole lot easier.
October 27th, 2016
(Vancouver) -
Advocates and health care professionals gathered at the Strathcona Midwifery
Collective, this morning to share that they are terrified for babies who cannot
access BC health coverage due to discrimination against their parents’
immigration status. Among pumpkins bearing messages such as “Health for All”
and “MSP for Babies,” they shared messages from the worried parents of these
babies.
“For us as parents,
it’s indeed extremely frustrating that our baby does not have medical
coverage,” said Oscar and Marcela, whose names have been changed to protect
their privacy. “We have applied twice and in neither application the Ministry
has taken the time to respond whether or not my baby qualifies.”
"If a baby is
born in Canada, they are a Canadian citizen and immediately eligible for
MSP," Minister of Health Terry Lake told Parliament on May 5th 2016.
However, in correspondences with Sanctuary Health, Barbara Walman, Assistant
Deputy Minister of Health confirmed that in practice this is not the case.
“Although any child born in BC is a Canadian citizen and may be entitled to MSP
coverage,” she wrote. “The timing of and requirements for their coverage will
depend on the circumstances of their birth.” Over 500 people have sent emails
to the Ministry of Health asking them to develop a registration process that
aligns with Minister Lake’s words.
“This is a life and
death situation; these babies could die if they don’t get health care,” said
Ingrid Mendez of Sanctuary Health. “Meanwhile, deportation to face violence in
their home country is not a legitimate option. Although mothers have told us,
in desperation, that they are willing to put their own lives at risk if their
babies could stay safe in Canada.”
“I get really worried
and powerless when he is sick, I don’t know how much help I can get without his
MSP coverage,” said Camila, who will need to find thousands of dollars to pay
for her babies’ urgent surgery. “The immigration part of it [is] also worrying
because they might start questioning why I am asking for help when I am not
Canadian, only my baby is.”
“We’ve spoken to
health care providers in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba, and we understand that
all these provinces provide healthcare to babies in these situations. It’s time
for BC to step up to the plate.” said Tasha Nijjar of Sanctuary Health.
Sanctuary Health is a
grassroots community group that deploys a wide range of strategies to advocate
for access to services for all regardless of immigration status or
documentation. To learn more about the issue visit: http://www.bchealthcoalition.ca/what-you-can-do/make-sure-bc-babies-can-access-health-care
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