Dependant primary contact: Health Card
Dependants who are 18 or younger need to have 1 adult in their family registered as the dependant primary contact for their Health Card.
A dependant primary contact is an adult (usually a parent or legal guardian) who shares the same family address (civic address where they live) in the Health Card Registry as their dependant and is registered as the dependant primary contact in the registry.
When you apply for a Health Card, you select a primary contact for your dependants who are 18 or younger. The contact is registered in the Health Card Registry.
A dependant can only have 1 dependant primary contact (the same contact is registered for all dependants in the family). You can change the dependant primary contact at any time.
Dependants who are 18 or younger need to have 1 adult in their family registered as the dependant primary contact for their Health Card.
Learn more: Dependants (Nova Scotia Health Insurance Program)
On 28 April 2026, the Nova Scotia Health Insurance Program kept the current primary contact for dependants 18 or younger who are linked by a shared family address (civic address where they live). This change was made for families of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who shared the same family address in the registry. The change wasn’t made for families of study and work permit holders who are registered with dependants. The permit holder is registered as the dependant primary contact.
The dependant primary contact can:
- enquire and update information related to their dependants
- change the dependant primary contact to another adult who shares the same family address in the Health Card Registry
When both spouses or common-law partners provide address consent authorization, either person can update their dependant’s Health Card information including the address. If both persons don’t provide consent, only the dependant primary contact can update information for dependants.
If 2 persons share the responsibility for a dependant and have not provided address consent authorization or are not registered together as a family in the Health Card Registry, contact MSI Resident Services to confirm the dependant primary contact.
Changing the contact
It’s your choice. If you’re the dependant primary contact, you can change the dependant primary contact at any time.
If you’re not the dependant primary contact, contact MSI Resident Services for more information.
Immediate contact change
If you need the dependant primary contact change to take effect immediately, contact MSI Resident Services to register your change.
Who doesn’t need a contact
Persons 16 to 18 who apply for a Health Card as an individual or are already registered as an individual in the Health Card Registry don’t need a dependant primary contact.