Question Period Note: International Health Insurance (MSH International) under the Public Service Health Care Plan

How is the government addressing members concerns regarding international services under the Public Service Health Care Plan?

• The Government of Canada is committed to seeing that public servants receive the health care services they deserve.
• For services within Canada, Canada Life has been meeting the service level requirements since early 2024.
• For services outside of Canada, Canada Life continues to work with their sub-contractor, MSH International, on an action plan.
• MSH is now processing calls and claims within expected service levels, but there is still work to do to improve the quality of out-of-country health services.
• We continue to work closely with Canada Life and MSH to resolve the outstanding challenges.

Per the Financial Administration Act, Treasury Board has authority for all aspects of the public service benefit plans. The President of the Treasury Board, as Employer of the Public Service, is responsible for the overall administration of the public service benefit plans.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) is the Project Authority responsible for all matters concerning the technical content of the plan administrators’ work. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is the Contract Authority responsible for the contract with the plan administrators. Questions relating to the procurement process, including contract performance and remedies, should be directed to PSPC.
On July 1, 2023, Canada Life began the administration of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) contract. Canada Life sub-contracted MSH International to provide out-of-country coverage for members living, working, or travelling abroad.
Issues arose with the service from MSH International, and a customer service action plan was developed. As a result, average call wait times and claims processing are now within expected service levels.

However, work remains ongoing to ensure the quality of the services continues to improve. MSH has an action plan to continue to improve services with a focus on quality, including expanding the escalation processes to ensure urgent claims are quickly identified and prioritized. Further actions are also being taken to enhance the member experience including improving agent knowledge through education and training, ongoing Member Portal enhancements, applying member feedback and maintaining open and transparent communication about progress with plan members and Global Affairs Canada.

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