Updated May 1, 2026. To get a Nova Scotia health card you register with Medical Services Insurance (MSI), the province’s publicly funded health plan, by calling MSI Registration and Inquiry at 902-496-7008 or 1-800-563-8880, gathering proof of legal status in Canada, proof of identity, and proof of a Nova Scotia civic address, and submitting the documents by mail, email to MSI@medavie.ca, or through the secure drop box at 230 Brownlow Avenue in Dartmouth. New permanent residents and returning Canadian citizens arriving from outside Canada are covered from the date they establish residency in Nova Scotia. Interprovincial movers wait until the first day of the third month after arrival. Work permit holders with permits valid for at least 12 months are eligible from day one. Most international students, and temporary or seasonal workers, become eligible on the first day of the 13th month following their arrival in Nova Scotia, which means roughly one full year of private bridge insurance is mandatory before MSI kicks in. As of April 28, 2026, existing card holders can also renew, replace, or update their Nova Scotia health card through the new MSI Online portal at novascotia.ca/msi-online or through the YourHealthNS app, signed in through a My NS Account.

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Quick Answer: How to Get a Nova Scotia Health Card in 2026

  • Who is eligible day one: new permanent residents and returning Canadian citizens arriving from outside Canada, work permit holders whose permit is valid for 12 months or longer, refugee claimants and protected persons from the day they apply for permanent residency, and Convention refugees with valid IRCC documents.
  • Who waits three months: Canadian citizens and permanent residents moving to Nova Scotia from another province or territory. Coverage starts on the first day of the third month after the date you establish Nova Scotia residency. The home province continues to cover you during that gap.
  • Who waits 13 months: most international students with study permits valid for at least 12 months, and temporary or seasonal workers without a 12-month-plus work permit. Coverage starts on the first day of the 13th month after arrival in Nova Scotia.
  • What you need: proof of legal status in Canada (PR card, work permit, study permit, passport with stamp, refugee documents), proof of identity (passport, driver’s licence, government photo ID), and proof of Nova Scotia civic address (signed lease, mortgage, recent utility bill, property tax bill). Applicants under 19 do not need proof of address.
  • How to apply: call MSI Registration and Inquiry at 902-496-7008 (or toll free 1-800-563-8880) Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Atlantic time. The agent will confirm which documents you need, then you submit them by mail to PO Box 500, Halifax NS B3J 2S1, by email to MSI@medavie.ca, or through the secure drop box at the MSI office at 230 Brownlow Avenue, Dartmouth. There is no online intake form for first-time newcomer applicants.
  • What it costs: there is no premium for MSI base coverage. Card replacements, address changes, and renewals are free.
  • Online services for existing card holders (since April 28, 2026): through the MSI Online portal at novascotia.ca/msi-online, signed in with a My NS Account, you can renew your health card, request a replacement, update your address, register or renew Family Pharmacare, register for Seniors’ Pharmacare, update organ and tissue donation status, and submit forms electronically. The same services are accessible through the YourHealthNS app.

For the broader Canadian system context, see our guide on how healthcare works in Canada. For the cross-province bridge-insurance walkthrough, see health insurance in Canada for new immigrants.

Check Out The Nova Scotia Health Card | How to make health card in Nova Scotia, Canada | MSI Card | In2Can Vlogs:

What MSI Is and Who Runs It

Medical Services Insurance (MSI) is the Nova Scotia Health Insurance Program. It is funded by the Department of Health and Wellness through provincial revenue and the federal Canada Health Transfer, and it is administered on the province’s behalf by Medavie Blue Cross. The MSI Registration and Inquiry office, where you start the application, sits at 230 Brownlow Avenue in Dartmouth. The hospital and primary-care system that you actually use as a patient is operated by Nova Scotia Health (the provincial health authority that covers everything except the IWK Health Centre, which is the women’s, children’s, and youth specialty hospital in Halifax).

That split matters in practice. MSI is the insurance plan that pays the bills. Nova Scotia Health and the IWK are the operators that deliver the care. Your Nova Scotia health card unlocks both: present it at the front desk of any clinic, walk-in, hospital, or specialist office in the province and the visit is billed directly to MSI without an invoice on your end for the medical service itself. Source: novascotia.ca, Department of Health and Wellness MSI.

The base plan does not charge a premium. Nova Scotia eliminated MSI premiums for residents long ago, and as of 2026 every eligible resident gets the base coverage at no monthly cost. The premiums Nova Scotians do pay are for supplementary coverage, mainly the Nova Scotia Family Pharmacare Program (income-based copay and deductible), the Seniors’ Pharmacare Program (annual fee), employer extended-health benefits, or a private supplementary policy through Blue Cross, Manulife, Sun Life, Canada Life, GMS, or another insurer. Those sit on top of MSI and pay for what the province does not.

What a Nova Scotia Health Card Covers

The clearest single view of MSI is the table below, drawn from the official coverage pages on novascotia.ca. It splits coverage into three categories: services MSI pays in full, services MSI pays partially or only in specific circumstances, and services MSI does not pay at all.

CategoryServiceWhat MSI Pays
Fully coveredFamily doctor visitsFull fee-for-service rate
Walk-in clinic visitsFull rate
Specialist visits (on referral)Full rate
Emergency department careFull rate
Hospital admission, standard ward (4 beds)Full cost including nursing, meals, in-hospital drugs, X-rays, lab tests, blood work
Medically necessary surgeryFull cost (operating room, anesthesia, surgeon)
Maternity care (prenatal through postpartum)Full rate
Diagnostic tests on requisition (blood, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT)Full cost at an approved hospital or community lab
Psychiatrist visits with referralFull rate
In-hospital physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapyFull cost
Radiotherapy and chemotherapyFull cost
Vaccines on the provincial schedule (childhood, COVID, flu, HPV, shingles for 65+) at public health clinicsFull cost
Routine surgical suppliesFull cost
Children’s dental for kids under 14 (Nova Scotia Children’s Oral Health Program at participating dentists)Diagnostic, preventive, restorative services per program list
Routine eye exams for children under 10 and adults 65 and olderOne exam every two years
Partially coveredSpecified surgical dental procedures in an approved hospitalFull cost when medically required and performed in hospital
Inter-facility ambulance transfers (between hospitals on physician order)Coverage varies by case
Out-of-province care within CanadaReimbursed at Nova Scotia rates through reciprocal billing (Quebec is the standard exception)
Out-of-country emergency in-patient hospitalizationReimbursed in Canadian funds at Nova Scotia rates after prior approval; the patient is responsible for the difference
Not coveredRoutine adult dental (cleanings, fillings, extractions, crowns, dentures)Nothing
Adult eye exams (ages 10 to 64)Nothing
Eyeglasses and contact lensesNothing
Prescription drugs filled outside hospitalNothing (unless on a public drug plan or Pharmacare)
Ambulance services from home or scene to hospitalNothing (resident fee approximately $146.55)
Physiotherapy outside hospitalNothing
Chiropractic, massage, osteopathy, acupuncture, naturopathyNothing
PodiatryNothing
Psychologist or registered social worker counsellingNothing
Hearing aidsNothing
Cosmetic surgeryNothing
Private and semi-private hospital room upgrades (unless medically necessary)Nothing
Fertility treatments and assisted reproductive technologiesNothing (limited public IVF support exists separately)
Travel vaccines (typhoid, yellow fever, etc.)Nothing
Most non-emergency care received outside CanadaNothing
Third-party medical exams (employment, insurance, immigration)Nothing

Sources: novascotia.ca, Healthcare services covered by your health card; novascotia.ca, MSI Moving and Travel; Nova Scotia Health, Fees and Bill Payments.

The pattern matches every other provincial plan in Canada. Anything a doctor or hospital does for a sick body inside the public system is covered. Anything that happens at the pharmacy counter, the dental chair (with the children’s-dental and surgical exceptions noted above), the optical shop, the physio clinic outside hospital, or another country, the patient mostly pays for, unless they have private insurance, employer benefits, or qualify for one of the federal or provincial assistance programs.

Who Qualifies for a Nova Scotia Health Card

Eligibility for MSI is set under the Health Services and Insurance Act and detailed at novascotia.ca/dhw/msi/eligibility.asp. Three core tests apply.

  1. Legal status. You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a holder of a valid IRCC document (work permit, study permit, refugee or protected person documentation), or otherwise legally entitled to remain in Canada. Tourists, transients, and visitors are not eligible.
  2. Residency. You must make Nova Scotia your home and be physically present in the province at least 183 days in any 12-month period. This is the same 183-day rule used across most Canadian provinces.
  3. No other coverage. You cannot already be insured by another provincial or territorial plan, or by a foreign national health plan, while claiming MSI.

The category of newcomer you fall into determines when coverage actually begins. The next sections walk through each one.

New Permanent Residents and Returning Canadian Citizens

A new permanent resident or a Canadian citizen returning from abroad is covered by MSI from the date they establish residency in Nova Scotia. There is no three-month wait. This is a meaningful difference from British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario (which retains a three-month wait for many newcomers), and several other provinces. To apply, you bring a valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), permanent resident card, or Canadian passport, plus proof of identity and proof of a Nova Scotia civic address.

Interprovincial Movers (Within Canada)

If you already had a provincial health card in another province (OHIP, RAMQ, MSP, AHCIP, NB Medicare, MCP) and are moving permanently to Nova Scotia, MSI coverage starts on the first day of the third month after the date you become a Nova Scotia resident. Your home province continues to cover medically necessary services in the meantime. Apply for an MSI card as soon as you arrive so the start date is on file. Source: novascotia.ca, Healthcare coverage if you move to Nova Scotia.

Work Permit Holders (12 Months or Longer)

If your IRCC work permit is valid for at least 12 months and you have established a permanent home in Nova Scotia, MSI coverage begins on the day you arrive. Spouses and dependents of an eligible work permit holder are also eligible from arrival, provided they have signed an MSI declaration of intent to reside in the province. The permit must be valid at the time of application. If the permit is approaching expiry, submit IRCC documentation showing maintained status (the former implied status) so coverage is not interrupted while a renewal is in process.

Temporary and Seasonal Workers (Permits Under 12 Months)

If your work permit is shorter than 12 months, MSI applies a 13-month qualifying period. You become eligible on the first day of the 13th month following your arrival in Nova Scotia, provided you have stayed at least 90 days in the province within any 12-month window during that period. Until then, you need private health insurance.

International Students

This is the trip-up most students miss. Nova Scotia does not extend day-one MSI coverage to most international students. If you hold a study permit valid for at least 12 months, you become eligible for MSI on the first day of the 13th month following your arrival in Nova Scotia. Your spouse and dependents follow the same rule. Until then, you must carry the international-student health plan offered through your institution. Sources: novascotia.ca, MSI eligibility; studynovascotia.ca, Health Care.

The exception worth knowing: if you arrive as an international student accompanied by a spouse who holds a work permit valid for at least 12 months, your spouse is eligible for MSI on arrival, and once your spouse is registered, you may be added as a dependent ahead of the 13-month rule. Confirm the specifics with MSI Registration and Inquiry before assuming this applies to your file.

Most Nova Scotia universities (Dalhousie University, Saint Mary’s University, Mount Saint Vincent University, NSCAD, the University of King’s College, Cape Breton University, Acadia University, St. Francis Xavier, NSCC) require students to enrol in a private international-student health plan from day one. Plan into your budget that you will pay roughly one academic year of private premiums before MSI begins.

Refugees, Protected Persons, and Refugee Claimants

If you are a Convention refugee or a resettled refugee with valid IRCC documentation, you are eligible for MSI from the day you establish Nova Scotia residency. If you are a refugee claimant or a person in need of protection who has applied for permanent residency, MSI coverage usually starts on the day you submit your application for permanent residence, not the day the claim is decided. Refugee claimants without a PR application on file continue to be covered under the federal Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) until that status is resolved.

Who Is Not Eligible

The categories explicitly excluded from MSI include tourists, transients, and visitors, students from other Canadian provinces studying in Nova Scotia (who remain on their home province’s plan), regular Canadian Armed Forces members (covered under Canadian Forces Health Services), federal penitentiary inmates (covered federally), people whose immigration documents have expired, and anyone absent from Nova Scotia for more than seven months in a 12-month period without an approved exemption.

How to Get a Nova Scotia Health Card: Step-by-Step

The process is short on paperwork and long on phone calls. Block out an afternoon in your first week.

Step 1. Confirm you meet the eligibility test. Legal status to remain in Canada, intent to make Nova Scotia your permanent home for 183 days or more in a 12-month period, no other active health coverage. If you cannot tick all three, the application will be returned.

Step 2. Gather three categories of documents per person. All documents in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Document CategoryAcceptable Examples
Proof of legal status in CanadaCanadian passport or birth certificate, valid Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), valid PR card (both sides), valid work permit, valid study permit, IRCC documentation showing maintained status, refugee or protected-person papers, Record of Landing
Proof of identityForeign passport, Nova Scotia driver’s licence or photo ID card, valid health card from a previous Canadian province, government-issued photo ID
Proof of Nova Scotia civic address (full name plus current NS address; not required for applicants under 19)Signed lease or rental agreement (signed by landlord and tenant), property tax bill from the current year, mortgage document, utility bill from the last 6 months (power, water, internet, phone), homeowner’s or tenant insurance policy

The civic-address requirement has been mandatory for new applicants since April 25, 2023. Source: novascotia.ca, Documents needed to apply for a Health Card.

Step 3. Call MSI Registration and Inquiry to start the file. The phone is the front door. Call 902-496-7008 in the Halifax Regional Municipality, or 1-800-563-8880 toll free anywhere in Canada, Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Atlantic time. The registration officer will confirm your eligibility category, list the exact documents you need to submit, and tell you which forms (if any) to fill in.

Step 4. Submit your documents. Three submission channels are available; in-person service at the counter is not.

  • Mail. Address: MSI Registration and Inquiry, PO Box 500, Halifax, NS B3J 2S1. Send copies, not originals.
  • Email. Scan the documents and email them to MSI@medavie.ca. The address is bilingual.
  • Secure drop box. Drop the envelope at the secure drop box at MSI’s office, 230 Brownlow Avenue, Dartmouth. Pre-printed envelopes are available at the box.

Source: novascotia.ca/dhw/msi, Contact MSI.

Step 5. Wait for the card. Once the application is complete and approved, the card is mailed to your Nova Scotia address. Plan for several weeks. If you have not received the card after eight weeks, call MSI Registration and Inquiry to check the file status.

Step 6. Sign your card. When the card arrives, sign the back, store the number somewhere safe (you will be asked for it any time you call 811 or book an appointment), and add the digital version to the YourHealthNS app if you want it on your phone.

MSI Online: The New Self-Serve Portal (Launched April 28, 2026)

Nova Scotia launched MSI Online on April 28, 2026, after years in which most card-holder transactions required a phone call or paperwork. The portal is open to Nova Scotians 19 and older who already have a Nova Scotia health card and who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Source: news.novascotia.ca, New Online Service for MSI, Pharmacare.

What you can do in MSI Online:

  • Renew your Nova Scotia health card.
  • Request a replacement card if yours is lost, stolen, or damaged.
  • Update your address and contact information.
  • Register for or renew the Nova Scotia Family Pharmacare Program.
  • Register for or renew the Nova Scotia Seniors’ Pharmacare Program.
  • Update your organ and tissue donation status.
  • Opt in to participate in medical research opportunities.
  • Submit inquiries and forms electronically for MSI to process.
  • Register an email address to receive electronic notifications, including health card renewal reminders.

What still requires a phone call:

  • The first-time application for a newcomer’s health card. Newcomers, work permit holders, study permit holders, and anyone without an existing card still call MSI Registration and Inquiry directly. The portal does not handle initial intake.
  • Complex eligibility cases (refugee claimants, dependents not yet on file, returning residents whose card lapsed years ago).

How to access it:

  1. Create a My NS Account at my.novascotia.ca if you do not already have one. The account is the province’s single sign-on for digital services.
  2. Visit novascotia.ca/msi-online and sign in through your My NS Account.
  3. Or download the YourHealthNS app on iPhone or Android and access the same services there.

The portal works on any modern browser, including Safari, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.

What MSI Costs (and What It Doesn’t)

There is no monthly premium for MSI base coverage. The Nova Scotia health card is free to apply for, free to renew, and free to replace. The costs you do pay are for the services MSI does not cover, plus optional supplementary plans that cushion those gaps.

ItemWhat You Pay (No Card or No Coverage)What You Pay (With Card and Plan)
Family doctor visit$80 to $120 cash, or full fee through travel/private insurance$0
Walk-in clinic visit$80 to $120$0
Emergency department visit (no triage admission)$300 to $900$0
Hospital admission, standard ward, per day$1,500 to $3,500 (uninsured rate)$0
Ambulance, ground (resident, with MSI)$146.55 (set fee)$146.55
Ambulance, ground (non-resident or no MSI)$1,200 to $1,500+n/a
Routine adult dental cleaning and exam$145 to $230Varies; CDCP may pay
Adult eye exam (one-off)$115 to $175$0 with employer or private plan
Generic prescription, monthly$15 to $45Subject to Family Pharmacare deductible/copay or insurer copay
Brand prescription, monthly$80 to $300+Subject to Family Pharmacare deductible/copay or insurer copay
Physiotherapy session (outside hospital)$90 to $135Often $20 to $40 with private plan
Mental health, registered psychologist session$200 to $260Often $0 to $80 with private plan, depending on coverage

The dollar ranges reflect typical 2026 Halifax-area rates compiled from clinic published fee schedules and the Nova Scotia Health uninsured-services list. They are estimates, not quotes; individual providers vary.

Pharmacare in Nova Scotia: Filling the Drug-Coverage Gap

MSI does not cover prescription drugs filled outside hospital. The province operates two main Pharmacare programs to bridge that gap, plus the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) for dental.

Nova Scotia Family Pharmacare Program

Family Pharmacare is open to any Nova Scotia resident with a valid health card who is not already covered by another drug plan (employer, student, military, federal, or another provincial plan). There is no upfront premium. Once registered, you and your family pay an annual deductible and a copay per prescription, both calculated on the basis of family income and family size. The program calculator at novascotia.ca/dhw/pharmacare/family-calculator.asp gives you a personalized estimate.

The plan covers the eligible drugs on the Nova Scotia Formulary, which mirrors the formulary used by most provincial Pharmacare programs. Brand-name drugs may be covered at the generic price unless a “no substitution” note is on the prescription. Register through MSI Online (since April 28, 2026) or by phone at 1-877-330-0323.

Nova Scotia Seniors’ Pharmacare Program

Seniors’ Pharmacare is for Nova Scotia residents 65 and older with a valid health card who do not have an employer or private drug plan. The program charges an annual premium based on income (waived or reduced for low-income seniors) and a copay per prescription up to an annual maximum. Register through MSI Online or call 1-800-544-6191.

Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) in Nova Scotia

The federal CDCP rolled out across all age groups in 2026. Working-age Nova Scotians are now eligible to apply if family net income is below $90,000, no private dental coverage is held, taxes were filed for the prior year, and the applicant is a Canadian resident for tax purposes. Coverage begins below the income cap on a sliding scale: full coverage at family income under $70,000, partial coverage from $70,000 to $90,000, and no CDCP coverage above $90,000. Apply through Service Canada or canada.ca, Canadian Dental Care Plan.

The CDCP does not stack with private dental insurance. If you already have employer benefits, you must use those. If you do not, CDCP is the most useful dental safety net for adult newcomers in Nova Scotia in 2026.

Care While You Wait for the Health Card

A handful of practical answers for the gap between landing in Halifax (or Sydney, Truro, New Glasgow, Bridgewater, Kentville, Yarmouth, Antigonish) and the day the MSI card arrives in the mail.

  • Buy private bridge insurance before you land. Most arrival policies are valid from the date you land and run from one to twelve months. Quote at PolicyMe, Manulife, Sun Life, GMS, Allianz, Tugo, or Blue Cross. International students typically buy through the institution’s plan.
  • Call 811 for a registered nurse, 24/7. The provincial nurse line is bilingual and free; no health card required to talk to a nurse.
  • Use the YourHealthNS app for virtual primary care. The app connects to virtual care services available across the province.
  • Walk-in clinics and pharmacist minor-ailments. Most Nova Scotia walk-in clinics will see you uninsured for $80 to $120 cash. Many pharmacists in Nova Scotia can now assess and prescribe for minor ailments (urinary tract infections, allergies, cold sores, mild eczema) under the provincial pharmacist scope-of-practice rules; a pharmacist visit is often $0 with insurance and a flat fee uninsured.
  • Mobile primary care clinics. Nova Scotia Health operates pop-up mobile primary care clinics in underserved communities; check needafamilypractice.nshealth.ca for the schedule.
  • Emergency department for true emergencies only. ER visits are billed at the uninsured rate ($300 to $900 plus admissions) until your MSI card is active or your bridge policy pays. Use 811 first if you are unsure.

Get on the Need a Family Practice Registry

Nova Scotia has a province-wide registry, the Need a Family Practice Registry, that matches residents looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner. As of 2026 it remains the official entry point. The registry exists because the province does not have enough family physicians to give every resident an attached primary care provider on arrival; getting on the list early matters.

How to register:

  1. By phone, before your card arrives. Call 811 Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Atlantic time. Tell the agent you are new to Nova Scotia and do not yet have an MSI card. They will start the file. You have four months to provide your health card number, otherwise the registration is removed.
  2. Online once you have the card. Visit needafamilypractice.nshealth.ca and submit through the Register/Update form using your Nova Scotia health card number.
  3. Re-call once you have the number. If you registered by phone first, call 811 again with the MSI number to complete the file.

When a family practice in your community has capacity, Nova Scotia Health forwards the registry list and the practice contacts patients in turn. There is no cost to register and no penalty to update.

Newcomer First-Week Action Checklist (Nova Scotia)

If your first week in the province is in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford, Sackville, Sydney, Truro, New Glasgow, Bridgewater, Kentville, Yarmouth, Antigonish, or anywhere else in Nova Scotia, run this list end to end before week two.

  1. Lock down a Nova Scotia civic address (signed lease, mortgage doc, or first utility bill in your name). MSI will not process the file without it for adult applicants.
  2. Buy or activate bridge insurance valid from the date you land. Even day-one-eligible permanent residents need it for the few weeks the card is in the mail.
  3. Call MSI Registration and Inquiry at 902-496-7008 or 1-800-563-8880. Get the document checklist for your specific status.
  4. Submit the documents by mail to PO Box 500 Halifax NS B3J 2S1, by email to MSI@medavie.ca, or by drop box at 230 Brownlow Avenue Dartmouth.
  5. Set up a My NS Account at my.novascotia.ca. You will use it for MSI Online, Pharmacare, and other provincial services.
  6. Download the YourHealthNS app and explore virtual care, 811 chat, and the appointment-booking features.
  7. Register for the Need a Family Practice Registry by calling 811. Re-call with your MSI number once the card arrives.
  8. Apply for Family Pharmacare or CDCP if you do not have employer benefits and need help with prescriptions or dental.
  9. Add MSI to your routine. Save the MSI number, the 811 number, and the address of your nearest hospital and walk-in clinic (Halifax Infirmary, Dartmouth General, IWK for kids, Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, Colchester East Hants in Truro) on your phone.
  10. Plan for renewal. MSI cards renew on the schedule printed on the card; with MSI Online you will get an email reminder if you registered an address.

How to Get a Nova Scotia Health Card: FAQs

How long does it take to get a Nova Scotia health card?

Plan for several weeks once your application and documents are complete. The province does not publish a guaranteed processing time. If eight weeks have passed and you have not received the card, call MSI Registration and Inquiry at 902-496-7008 (or 1-800-563-8880) for a status check.

Is there a waiting period for new immigrants?

For new permanent residents and returning Canadian citizens arriving from outside Canada, no. Coverage is effective the day you establish Nova Scotia residency. For interprovincial movers, coverage starts on the first day of the third month after arrival. For most international students and short-term work permit holders, coverage starts on the first day of the 13th month after arrival in Nova Scotia.

Can I apply for a Nova Scotia health card online?

First-time newcomer applications cannot be submitted through the online portal. New applicants register with MSI by phone, then submit documents by mail, email, or the Dartmouth drop box. Existing card holders can use MSI Online (launched April 28, 2026) to renew, replace, update an address, or register for Pharmacare.

What is the phone number for MSI?

902-496-7008 in the Halifax Regional Municipality, or 1-800-563-8880 toll free in Canada. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Atlantic time.

Where do I send my MSI documents?

By mail: MSI Registration and Inquiry, PO Box 500, Halifax NS B3J 2S1. By email: MSI@medavie.ca. By secure drop box: 230 Brownlow Avenue, Dartmouth (pre-printed envelopes available at the box).

Does MSI cover prescription drugs?

Not outside hospital. Drugs administered during a hospital stay are covered. Prescriptions you fill at a community pharmacy are not covered by MSI. The Nova Scotia Family Pharmacare Program (income-based deductible and copay), the Seniors’ Pharmacare Program for residents 65 and older, employer extended-health plans, and a handful of other targeted plans are the routes that pay for outpatient prescriptions.

Does MSI cover dental?

For most adults, no. Children under 14 are covered for diagnostic, preventive, and restorative services through the Nova Scotia Children’s Oral Health Program at participating dentists. Dental surgery in an approved hospital may be covered when medically required. Most adult routine dental is paid out of pocket, through employer benefits, or through the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan if income qualifies.

Does MSI cover ambulance services?

Not from home or scene to hospital. Residents pay a flat ambulance fee in the $146.55 range. Inter-facility transfers between hospitals on a physician’s order are covered.

How long can I be away from Nova Scotia without losing MSI?

You must be physically present in Nova Scotia for at least 183 days in a 12-month period. Absences of more than seven months in a 12-month window can disqualify you. Approved exemptions exist for full-time students attending out-of-province schools, work assignments, missionary work, and similar situations. Notify MSI Moving and Travel before an extended absence.

What do I do if I lose my Nova Scotia health card?

Sign in to MSI Online through your My NS Account at novascotia.ca/msi-online and request a replacement, or call MSI Registration and Inquiry at 902-496-7008 / 1-800-563-8880. Replacements are free.

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