Nova Scotians can now renew health cards online through new portal

CITYnews halifax / By Chris Halef

The province launched a new web portal that will allow Nova Scotians to renew their health cards more easily than before.

In a press release, it said that Medical Services Insurance (MSI) Online is now available to people 19 and older who have a health card and are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Nova Scotia.

Premier Tim Houston made the announcement on Tuesday.

“It was kind of crazy to me that to renew your health card, you had to either email or fax your application somewhere; that just seems so ridiculous in today’s day and age,” said Houston.

According to the province, once logged in, people can request a replacement Nova Scotia health card, update their address and contact information, and update their organ and tissue donation status, among other things.

“We continue to expand the suite of digital health tools that support Nova Scotians to access healthcare programs, services, information, and care from wherever they are,” said Yarmouth MLA Nick Hilton, on behalf of Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson. “This will make it easier and more convenient for people to access, manage and update their MSI and pharmacare program information.”

The province said residents will continue to receive health card renewals by mail unless they choose to receive it electronically through MSI Online.