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UPDATED: 3:34 P.M.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation got some of its numbers wrong, according to B.C.'s Ministry of Finance.
While the total amount of outstanding MSP payments is $457 million, there are 387,000 bills that are at least 31 days past due, not 850,000 as previously reported.
"A consumer could be counted in more than one ‘days past due category,' so it is not accurate to simply add up the totals from each category," a ministry spokesman said in an email.
ORIGINAL: 10:05 P.M.
B.C.'s Medical Services Plan system is broken and needs to be fixed.
That's the opinion of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, after learning more than 850,000 MSP bills are at least 31 days past due.
That amounts to more than $460 million in outstanding payments to the MSP system in B.C.
Documents received by the CTF through a Freedom of Information request show:
- 316,483 B.C. MSP tax payments are more than 90 days past due, owing a combined $418 million.
- 249,611 payments are 61-90 days late, owing $20.5 million.
- 290,237 payments are 31-60 days late, owing $24.2 million.
“These numbers are startling when you consider that only about half of B.C.’s 4.4 million people pay MSP directly, and roughly 800,000 people are exempted due to low income,” says Jordan Bateman, CTF B.C. director.
“It’s clear the MSP system is hopelessly flawed, but the government keeps doubling down on it with higher and higher taxes.”
Since the Liberal party assumed power in 2001, Bateman says MSP premiums in the province have nearly doubled.
They have jumped 39 per cent since 2010.
Bateman says the MSP bill for a family of four is $150 per month.
The CTF has urged the government to freeze and review the MSP tax with the goal of making it fairer and less costly for taxpayers.
“Next week’s provincial budget is the perfect time for the BC Liberal government to make meaningful changes to this unfair, expensive tax,” says Bateman.
“Taxpayers, having seen so many of their expenses shoot through the roof in recent years, are begging for relief.”
