Residents across the South Cariboo will have some big health plan savings beginning next year as released in the 2017 Budget, says Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett.
Middle-income individuals and families will have a minimum of a 50 per cent cut on their Medical Services Plan (MSP) premiums by 2018, and more lower-income folks will pay nothing at all.
“Two million British Columbians will see their premiums cut in half, and two million more will pay no premiums at all.”
This will “help families do other things with their money,” she adds.
Barnett explains this means residents will save up to $900 a year (typical two parent/two children family), while single-parent families with two children will save up to $450.
As the local MLA, Barnett says whenever she hears her constituents protesting about anything financial, MSP premiums is “their number one complaint.”
Many of the South Cariboo’s high population of seniors are also sure to appreciate some of the added savings they will see from this budget, she adds.
Many seniors are among those who will see additional relief from the MSP low-income threshold moving up by $2,000, which now means by 2018 individuals earning up to $26,000 and families with two children earning up to $35,000 each year will pay nothing at all for MSP coverage, she explains.
However, Barnett says a message she wants to get across to her constituents is that any savings based on household income depend on registration, so those who are not already registered must remember to do this to benefit – because it won’t happen automatically based on your tax return.
Other budget dollars her constituents can expect to see in the South Cariboo is the funding for the health care professionals and other operating costs for the 14 long-term care beds opening up in Fischer Place/Mill Site Lodge.
“With the MSP and other initiatives this is [a budget] to keep more money in people’s pockets, and yet provide services they have asked for.”
Barnett asks her constituents to stay tuned for some “good things to come” in projects that she has been working on for the Cariboo-Chilcotin, that she hopes will be announced within the next month.
