Am I Eligible?
The Health Benefits Program is available to First Nations people with Indian status who live in BC. The Health Benefits Program is also available to infants (up to 24 months) if at least one parent is eligible for the program.
You are not eligible for Health Benefits if you have health insurance provided by the federal government, or by a First Nations organization as part of a self-government agreement with Canada.
If you need to register for Indian status, or have questions related to Indian status eligibility, see How to apply for a status card on the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) website.
How Do I Enroll?
If you are eligible for the Health Benefits Program, you must first enroll in the program to access benefits and coverage.
If you need to enroll for the first time, or you want to confirm that you are already enrolled, have your status number ready and call Health Benefits at 1-855-550-5454.
You may want to confirm your enrollment if you recently:
- moved to BC
- turned 19
- married or divorced
- had an employer pay MSP premiums on your behalf
If you are registering with Health Benefits for the first time, you may need to fill out two forms:
Please send the two forms to HealthBenefits@fnha.ca.
How Do I Enroll my Child?
To enroll with Health Benefits your child needs a Personal Health Number (PHN) and an Indian Status Number. Once they have both, call Health Benefits to enroll them.
1. Register your child’s birth with BC within their first three months. Registering with the province confirms your child’s Personal Health Number (PHN).
2. Register your child for Indian Status. Register your child for a status number with Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) as soon as possible. Processing times can take two years.
3. Meanwhile, your child can be covered under your account. While you wait for your child's status number, if your child has a PHN, they can be covered under your Health Benefits account until they are two years old.
4. Call Health Benefits. Once your child has their own status number, call us at 1-855-550-5454 to enroll them under their own account.
