To be eligible for TAP:

• you must be a B.C. resident and be enrolled in the Medical Services Plan (MSP);
• you must have a referral from a physician or nurse practitioner for MSP insured specialist medical services which are not available locally;
• your travel expenses must not be covered by third party insurance, such as an employer plan, extended medical plan, Insurance Corporation of BC, WorkSafeBC or federal government program (e.g. Veterans' Affairs).

The referral must be to the closest location for non-emergency medical specialist services not available in your community. TAP forms are only available from your referring physician or nurse practitioner at the time the referral is made.

A referral cannot be made from a general practitioner or nurse practitioner to another general practitioner. Referrals for services not insured by MSP, or services being paid privately by the patient, are not a benefit under TAP.

An escort is eligible for TAP only when accompanying a patient who is:

1. 18 years of age and under; or
2. incapable of travelling independently for medical reasons.

An escort is not eligible for TAP when driving a vehicle on behalf of a patient who does not qualify under (1) or (2) above, or when travelling alone to pick up a patient.

Your physician or nurse practitioner must indicate on the TAP form that an escort is required for one of the two reasons cited above.

Please note that transportation partners have the right to refuse an incomplete or altered TAP form. If your specialist appointment had been rescheduled and you are now travelling on a different date than what appears on the TAP form, please advise your transportation carrier accordingly.

Your physician, nurse practitioner, or specialty clinic will provide the TAP form and complete most of it for you.

Check to make sure the information entered is correct and that the form has been signed or stamped by the referring physician or nurse practitioner.

Print your address, including postal code and telephone number, in the spaces provided.

Sign the declaration on the front of the form confirming that your medical travel expenses are not covered by a third-party insurance plan or another government program.

Proceed to Step 2 preferably two weeks prior to your travel date.

Note to Patients: Unused TAP forms must be shredded or otherwise destroyed; TAP forms are only valid for three months (90 days) after the appointment date on your TAP form.

If your specialist appointment date changes by more than three months (90 days), you will need to obtain and complete a new TAP form.

Telephone TAP before you make travel arrangements to verify your eligibility and receive a confirmation number. Applicants who present forms without confirmation numbers will be refused discounts.

The TAP automated application service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
B.C. (toll-free): 1 800 661-2668

Don’t wait until the night before your date of travel to contact TAP!

When you call TAP, you will be asked for your Personal Health Number (on your B.C. CareCard) and the information provided by your physician or nurse practitioner on the TAP form.

Please have your CareCard and the TAP form ready.

Once your TAP request is accepted, enter the TAP confirmation number in the space provided on your form.

To receive your discount, present the completed TAP form (including the TAP confirmation number) at the time you make air, rail, and northern ferry reservations.

If you are traveling by BC Ferries on southern routes, present the completed TAP form at least one hour prior to your planned departure time at the following locations:

• Comox, Powell River, Nanaimo: Toll booth
• Swartz Bay, Horseshoe Bay, Gulf Islands: Toll booth
• Tsawwassen: Administration/Toll Plaza
• Langdale: Administration

For northern ferry routes, present your completed TAP form at least 24 hours before scheduled sailing at the following locations:

• Skidegate/Prince Rupert: Administration
• Port Hardy: Administration (reservation required)
• McLoughlin Bay: Toll Booth (reservation required)

If travelling by BC Ferries, you must take the same ferry route home as you took to the specialist appointment