Your health
When you retire, health coverage with your employer ends
You can apply for extended health and dental coverage through your pension. This coverage may be different from the coverage you received from your employer. Read the booklet available from Green Shield Canada for details about what’s covered.
Health coverage through the pension plan is not guaranteed. Benefit levels, including premiums, may be changed at any time by the Public Service Pension Board of Trustees.
- Retirement health coverage: Learn more about eligibility, how to apply and the cost of premiums.
- Funding of health and dental benefits in retirement: Learn more about how retirement health and dental coverage is funded.
- Want to understand more about retirement health coverage? Make sense of the retirement health benefits puzzle
- My Benefit Plan: Get the facts about what’s covered by the plan’s extended health and dental coverage
Green Shield Canada (GSC) is the plan’s extended health and dental carrier
Green Shield Canada provides optional extended health care and dental coverage for you, your spouse and eligible dependants.
Sign in to GSC’s Plan Member Online Services to review and manage your coverage online.
- Green Shield Canada: Learn about Green Shield Canada, the plan’s health and dental carrier, and register for Plan Member Online Services.
Enrolling in coverage after retirement
Extended health and dental coverage through the plan is optional. However, if you don’t enrol in coverage when you start your pension, you may not be able to enrol in the future. Review the eligibility rules before you decide about coverage.
- Don’t miss the boat on health and dental coverage: Learn about the eligibility rules when you apply for coverage after retirement.
Making changes to your coverage
After retirement, you may be able to:
- Add or remove coverage for your spouse or eligible dependants
- Cancel your coverage
- Upgrade your dental coverage
- Apply for or cancel coverage: Find out how to apply for or cancel coverage for you, your spouse and/or eligible dependants.
Managing your health in retirement
Take advantage of programs from the Government of BC to help you manage your health.
- HealthLink BC: Access reliable non-emergency health information and advice in British Columbia.
- Healthy Families BC: Explore “Aging Well” for tips to manage your health and reduce chronic disease.
- PharmaCare for B.C. Residents: Find out if you are eligible for a PharmaCare plan to cover some prescription drugs and medical supplies.
Medical Services Plan of BC (MSP)
To be eligible to enrol in extended health and dental coverage, you must be covered by MSP or your province’s public health insurance. Find out more about MSP, including how to enrol or update your information.