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health care issue

Printed From: Canada Immigration and Visa Discussion Forum
Category: Canada Immigration Topics
Forum Name: Family Class Sponsorship
Forum Description: A review of current sponsorship programs (permanent residence) promoting the reunion in Canada of close relatives from abroad.
URL: https://secure.immigration.ca/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 4:29am


Topic: health care issue
Posted By: jed
Subject: health care issue
Date Posted: 29 Nov 2009 at 11:50pm
hi guys, I arrived here in British Columbia last October 30, 2009 but i am going to move in Nova Scotia by the end of January for good. I am wondering if i need to apply for B.C. health care or should i wait till i get to Nova Scotia. My husband is in the Navy and i am covered under his medical plan.Can i still apply for my health care in Nova Scotia eventhough i am already covered under my husband's health care since he is in the military.i needed your advise guys, thank's in advance!



Replies:
Posted By: mitamata
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 12:00am
BC Health care doesn't kick in until the 3rd month that you've resided in the province. So, if you apply, you would be covered starting with January 1st. Since you're leaving in January, I don't think it's worth the hassle.

I don't know the details of NS health care, but according to their site:

Quote
The following individuals are not eligible for coverage:

    * regular members of the R.C.M.P. and the Canadian Armed Forces, (however members of their families are eligible);


http://www.gov.ns.ca/health/msi/eligibility.asp - http://www.gov.ns.ca/health/msi/eligibility.asp


That leads me to assume you are eligible and probably should apply. There's a contact phone number on that page I posted, maybe you can give them a call and find out for sure.

-------------
Outland - spousal - Vienna - 2009
Feb 16th - app received at CPC-M
Mar 3rd - decision made at CPC-M
Mar 27th - received AOR
Apr 29th - PPR received via email
May 12th - Passport with visa received :)


Posted By: jed
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 12:13am
thanks for the response. yip i will give them a call tomorrow for sure.


Posted By: kandareen
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 12:28am
If you can't quality for BC medical, you can always get temporary coverage from a company like Blue Cross. That is what I will put my husband on for 3 months when he arrives here from overseas. BC Medical won't kick in until after that waiting period.


Posted By: Mrs.Sam
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 1:35am
Re: Blue Cross (Alberta)..... I looked into this last week for my husband (who hasn't landed yet).

Alberta Blue Cross's procedure is to do a medical review and it is a 30 day wait period before he can be activated for benefit coverage - and that's already on my existing plan! I'm not sure if that is the process for other provinces though so you might want to look into that????

He also has to be an Alberta resident with a valid Alberta Health Care card to qualify for an individual health plan through Alberta Blue Cross.

I wonder if it's the same for other Blue Cross Plans, and if you have to wait... (you can't get a number until you confirm that you are an Alberta Resident and thus have to confirm with bills etc. that you live in the province. So how does that work?)

It seems like its a catch 22 and very disapointing. Either way, you have to wait!

I've already added his name to my present utilities, cable, and other bills so that we have proof that he lives here and can get Alberta Health Care immediately... but the Blue Cross thing is throwing me.

Originally posted by kandareen kandareen wrote:

If you can't quality for BC medical, you can always get temporary coverage from a company like Blue Cross. That is what I will put my husband on for 3 months when he arrives here from overseas. BC Medical won't kick in until after that waiting period.


-------------
"Knowledge is Power" Sir Francis Bacon 1597


Posted By: job_seeker
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 2:29am
[QUOTE=mitamata] BC Health care doesn't kick in until the 3rd month that you've resided in the province. So, if you apply, you would be covered starting with January 1st. Since you're leaving in January, I don't think it's worth the hassle.

I don't know the details of NS health care, but according to their site:

[quote]

Hi mitamata,

     What if the application was not sent at once? Would BC Health care consider the previous months' stay as counting towards the 3 month mandatory residence requirement?


Posted By: mitamata
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 2:52am
For BC health: I believe the coverage kicks in on the 3rd month of your residence, not the 3rd month after you send the application. So even if you send it a month or two after landing, provided it gets processed in time (it does take a couple of weeks), the coverage should still kick in on the 3rd month of residency.

As for Blue Cross...

When I came here, I went to Blue Cross to get insurance for the first few months until I qualified for BC Health. It was no issue getting insurance with them. Mrs.Sam, I suspect you were asking about the wrong thing. Never mind adding him to your plan. What you need is travel insurance, ask them about that - it's the same thing someone who came to visit Canada for a couple of months would get. I pretty sure they should have that available in all provinces. It's only temporary, get it until the provincial health care kicks in. I got mine for 3 months, paid $328 for it.


-------------
Outland - spousal - Vienna - 2009
Feb 16th - app received at CPC-M
Mar 3rd - decision made at CPC-M
Mar 27th - received AOR
Apr 29th - PPR received via email
May 12th - Passport with visa received :)


Posted By: Mrs.Sam
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 8:31am
Brilliant! I never thought about "Travel Insurance". Given that Alberta Residents are eligible for Provincial Health Care immediately upon landing (and retroactive), it doesn't make sense for my husband. But it certainly would make sense for other provinces where you have to wait the three months.


Originally posted by mitamata mitamata wrote:

For BC health: I believe the coverage kicks in on the 3rd month of your residence, not the 3rd month after you send the application. So even if you send it a month or two after landing, provided it gets processed in time (it does take a couple of weeks), the coverage should still kick in on the 3rd month of residency.

As for Blue Cross...

When I came here, I went to Blue Cross to get insurance for the first few months until I qualified for BC Health. It was no issue getting insurance with them. Mrs.Sam, I suspect you were asking about the wrong thing. Never mind adding him to your plan. What you need is travel insurance, ask them about that - it's the same thing someone who came to visit Canada for a couple of months would get. I pretty sure they should have that available in all provinces. It's only temporary, get it until the provincial health care kicks in. I got mine for 3 months, paid $328 for it.


-------------
"Knowledge is Power" Sir Francis Bacon 1597


Posted By: mitamata
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2009 at 1:38pm
Oh, good to know. Guess you don't need temp insurance in Alberta then :)

-------------
Outland - spousal - Vienna - 2009
Feb 16th - app received at CPC-M
Mar 3rd - decision made at CPC-M
Mar 27th - received AOR
Apr 29th - PPR received via email
May 12th - Passport with visa received :)


Posted By: Maja
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2009 at 8:42am
Alberta is actually the nicest province to move in. You get medical insurance right after landing. A lot of immigrants that landed in other provinces tried to move to Alberta just to get medical coverage, but for someone moving from Ontario or any other province to Alberta is waiting period 3 months.

-------------
Vienna:
Apr 14/09 - Application received at CIC-M
April 28/09 - Decision made, letter sent
May 20/09 - AOR received
Aug 31/09 - PPR request by email
Sep 3/09 - Got visa
Oct 27/09 - Landed in Canada


Posted By: Allison
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2009 at 10:04am
Just a quick note about travelers insurance. It only covers accidents and emergencies. Regular office visits, ongoing treatments and pre-existing conditions are not covered. I thought it was worth it especially since I am not used to walking or driving in SNOW. Six months of coverage in Ontario costs about $800 CAD.



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